MMSS
by Pandoras-Closet
Summary: An evil queen escapes! To stop her, a good queen grants six brave warriors the power to . . . hey, haven't we seen this before?
1. The Beginning

The complex lay buried under the streets of Tokyo. It was old, ancient when history was first recorded and built by a race who had been old when life on Earth was but microbes in its seas.

It's interior was dark and quiet. The great reactor at its heart was barely active, putting out just enough power to maintain the stasis fields and standby systems.

Then, in the control room, panels began to light up as the central computer came online, stasis fields spinning down. This was no automated systems check, for the standby systems had detected an alarm. The central computer began to sift through information as it stabbed out fingers of data. Out in space, other computers, much like it, stirred and muttered sleepily back.

The central computer considered the data presented to it. There had been other alarms in the past, systems breaking down, or a meteor strike taking out some part of the great network it governed. But this was different. Had it been part of its programming, it might have panicked a bit, for this was what it had been put in place against. But instead, it simply consulted its protocols, and then called up the correct systems and selected the appropriate menu.

Life support systems now came online, more stasis fields powering down and in their berths, biomechanical life stirred and growled.

Finally, in central control, the wall parted, revealing a coldsleep capsule which hissed as it brought its occupant back to full wakefulness. Medical sensors scanned the occupant, updating their files as blood once more began to move through the flesh and brain activity came up. Satisfied, the capsule opened as clothing was removed from stasis and presented to him.

Artemis, High Mage of the Imperium, gasped as he staggered out of the capsule, clutching at the robe and then fell to his knees, retching as coldsleep sickness hit him.

"I hate that," he muttered as he wiped his mouth. He did not stay there, High Mages did not achieve their rank by submitting to the weakness of flesh and he stood, pulling on the proffered robe. and walking purposefully to the central console. It was a circular in shape, with a crystal orb on one side. However, Artemis faced away from it, towards the back of the room as a hologram flickered to life. It was a woman's face. She had a pointed chin, an aquiline nose, and full lips. Her eyes were crystal blue and she wore her hair in two ponytails that dangled from either side of her head. It was a face of someone who got what they wanted, but yet, there was also a sense of gentleness and kindness.

Artemis bowed. "Serenity." he said reverently.

"Artemis," she replied. "What is it?"

"Checking now." Turning to the console, he demanded information. "Ai yi yi yi," he groaned, hands on his head. "Serenity, it's Beryl. She's escaped!"

Serenity's eyes hardened. "So be it. Artemis, find and recruit the appropriate souls."

"Teenagers with attitudes, perhaps?" Artemis suggested. Serenity glared at him, but her lips twitched.

"Tempting," she replied after a moment, "but no. You know what we need."

Artemis nodded and began to manipulate controls.

* * *

Beryl smiled as she walked into her palace. Hers by right. Was she not smarter, better looking, older? But no, their idiot father had given the throne to Serenity. Even Beryl putting a knife to his throat hadn't swayed him. And then it had slipped. Oops. But still, Serenity had taken the throne.

Just thinking the name sent bile into Beryl's throat. Serenity. Oh, how she loathed that blonde little idiot.

But now things had changed. Beryl was in charge and things were going to be different. She had a plan, oh yes. And better still, one of Serenity's pets. Geas' were wonderful things. Especially when mind control was also involved.

She turned to the catwoman with glowing red eyes. "Luna my friend. I have a job for you."

* * *

On the surface, at the Osaka-P juice bar, Usagi Tsukino was thinking about punching Rei Hino in her pretty mouth. This was surprising to no one since Rei and Usagi had hated each other since birth and it had just gotten worse as they got older. They lived next door to each other, went to the same schools, and saw each other constantly. Worse still, they were cousins and their parents didn't seem to understand just how much the girls hated each other.

However, as much as punching Rei appealed to her, Usagi was not about to endure parental wrath. Instead, pointedly ignoring Rei, she sucked on the straw of her smoothie and thought longingly of High School, just a year away. Usagi would be going to Juuban High, and Rei to Montrose Academy. This was deliberate. Usagi had purposefully failed Montrose's entrance exam and her parents were not well-connected enough to get the school to bend its rules and take her anyway.

There was a re-test, but she intended to fail that too. Juuban was a perfectly good school. It was within walking distance of home, the uniforms were cute, and most importantly, it was Rei free.

Rei free. Yup, that was her new favorite phrase.

"You know, Usagi," Rei leaned over her and Usagi scowled. "All those Brain Freeze Smoothies can't be good for you. Maybe that's why you failed the entrance exam." Minako, Rei's ever present shadow, snickered.

Usagi briefly considered bashing in Rei's pert nose and then thought better of it. 'Parental Wrath', she reminded herself. 'Parental Wrath, parental wrath, parental wrath.'

Instead, she picked up her smoothie and nodded to Makoto, who was laconically sipping tea nearby. With a shrug, the taller girl got to her feet and they walked out.

Rei, however, wasn't going to be so put off and followed.

There was a short hallway with a ninety degree turn between the bar and the outer door. No one in the bar could see past the bend and as they turned the corner, Rei tried again.

"Or maybe it isn't the smoothies," Rei pondered. "Could be you're just a twit."

Usagi stopped and sternly reminded herself of parental wrath. None of the four girls noticed the pale, blue haired shadow entering the hall and stopping dead at the sight before her.

"No," Rei continued thoughtfully. "Twits get things done. You, on the other hand, stuff your face and read magna all day. Amazes me you're not a big round ball of fat with meatballs on her head."

That did it. Usagi dropped her drink and grabbed Rei's blouse as she brought her other hand back to punch Rei's teeth in, parental wrath be damned.

The world went white.

* * *

"This ain't the Osaka-P," Makoto observed without a hint of surprise. But then, nothing ever seemed to rattle Makoto.

"Ahem."

The quartet turned and regarded the man facing them. He was clad in black robes. His long white hair was braided and he had an almost catlike face.

"What the hell?" Rei demanded.

"I apologize for the abruptness of your summons, but there was no other choice. I am Artemis of the Imperial High Mages and we are in need of your help."

"This is kidnapping!" If Makoto was laid back, Minako was just the opposite. "Imprisonment! Kidnapping and imprisonment! Assault!"

"SILENCE!"

They looked up at the hologram. "I am Queen Serenity of the Imperium. You five-"

"There's four of us," Rei interrupted.

"Naw, there's five," Makoto drawled and pointed with her thumb.

Rei, Minako, and Usagi peered around Makoto and looked at the pale-faced, blue-haired girl with wide eyes who stood there, clutching a bag full of books to her chest like a shield.

"H-hello," she stammered.

"Who the hell are you?" Rei demanded.

"A-a-a-Ami M-mizuno," she gulped. "I-i-i-i-"

"Whatever," Rei said dismissively and looked at Artemis. "Send me back right now!"

"You mean, us," Usagi interrupted.

"No, I mean me."

"And me!" Minako put in.

"And Minako," Rei amended.

"Can't be without your yes man, huh?" Usagi snorted.

As the argument began to escalate, Makoto sauntered over to Artemis, who, along with Serenity, was staring at the scene in bafflement.

"They'll run out of voice sooner or later," she said and leaned on the console.

"You don't seem very alarmed," Artemis noted.

"Nothin's too important to get upset over," Makoto replied.

"The end of the world?"

"Everything ends, man."

Serenity's lips twitched. "Quite so. However, I prefer things to end on their own. An evil sorceress named Beryl, imprisoned eons ago, has escaped. I am trapped in a time warp and cannot face her directly. I need your help. Act as my agents, stop Beryl before its too late. I will give you weapons and powers that will help you fight her."

"I-i'll do it." Ami was standing just behind Makoto. "I-i'll fight Beryl."

Makoto shrugged. "Sounds awesome."

"Will they stop soon?" Artemis asked, looking at Usagi, Minako and Rei. "We need all five of you."

Makoto shrugged. "Nah, seen 'em go for hours."

Artemis heaved a sigh. "Great."

* * *

Surprisingly, it was Ami who finally lost it, chucking a textbook at the trio and screaming at them until she realized what she was doing, had a panic attack, and had to hyperventilate into a paper bag.

"Always the quiet ones," Makoto observed and looked at Artemis. "Got any twos?"

"Are you out of your mind, Kino?" Rei screamed. "He kidnaps us and you're playing cards?"

Makoto shrugged. "I like cards."

"AHEM!" Everyone looked at Serenity. "Now, as Artemis was saying, we need your help. Earth is about to come under attack. I am imprisoned and Artemis cannot face them alone. We need all five of you. Makoto and Ami have already agreed."

"No way," Rei said.

"Nuh-huh," Minako agreed.

"Please," Serenity said. "I can give you weapons and powers to fight the invasion. If you do nothing, Earth will be conquered and destroyed."

Usagi's lips compressed into a thin line. "I'm in." She glared at Rei, "Unlike Hinos, we Tsukino's never turn our back on a friend and are always there to defend."

Rei's mouth opened and shut as a lifetime of upstaging her cousin warred with fear. Fear lost. "And you always mess it up. I'll do it, just so I can see you fail."

"Me too!" Minako crowed and then leaned over Rei's shoulder. "What are we doing?"

"Excellent!" Serenity approved. "Artemis, fetch the wands."

Artemis retrieved a case from a cabinet. Inside were six smaller boxes, each a different color. Artemis took the black one, which glowed when he touched it.

"Each case will react to the person whose nature matches the powers of the wand," Serenity told them.

There was some fumbling around until everyone got the correct box. Minako had yellow, Makoto was green and Ami was blue. Usagi's was white, and Rei was red.

"Good," Serenity nodded. "Take the wand out. The activation phrase varies for each color. For example, Makoto's is 'Sailor Senshi Green, make-up'. Keep them on you at all times. The bracelet inside the box is a communicator. Use it to keep in touch with each other and with me. Now, I will send you back to the surface. Artemis will be your leader in battle. When the time comes, be ready, my Mighty Morphin' Sailor Senshi." They nodded and Artemis teleported them back.

"Serenity, I . . ." he said when the girls were gone.

"I know, Artemis. But had I told them that the White Senshi was the leader, their reaction would have been . . . counterproductive."

"As always, Serenity, I am awed by your wisdom." Artemis bowed.

"Just so," she agreed.

* * *

Author's Note:

1) I woke up with this in my head.

2) I know Minako's color is orange, but whoever heard of an Orange Power Ranger?

3) . . . Actually, I'd like to see an Orange Power Ranger.


	2. Waiting

In those very rare moments of self-honesty, Minako admitted that as roommates went, Makoto was the best she could ever hope for. Their fathers had been best friends and when the Kinos had been killed in a plane crash, Makoto came to live with them.

Minako's parents, remembering their own siblings, had divided the bedroom in half, laid down some rules, and ruthlessly enforced them. And for ten years and counting, it had mostly worked. Each girl had a desk with chair, wardrobe, bookshelf, and bed. Side by side, the bookshelves subtly marked the line between the two sides. When they had been seven, Minako had attempted to bar Makoto access to the door as it was on her side of the room. Makoto had spent a week climbing in and out of the window until Minako's parents had established the doorway as nuetral territory and not under either girl's control. Minako had then sulked for three days.

An observer standing in the doorway would note that over time, the room had come to reflect the contrast between the two teens. Minako's side was decorated with posters, photos and her wardrobe was well stocked with the latest fashion.

By contrast, Makoto's side was, for lack of a better term, spartan. Money and posessions simply for the sake of either, were not part of Makoto's nature. Her clothes were chosen for function, rather then any particular style. She'd put up no posters and her bookshelf was all but empty. On the other hand, she only spent a fraction of her allowance every week.

It drove Minako mad. She simply could not comprehend Makoto's complete and utter disinterest in the very things that even Usagi was passionate about. God knew why, but Makoto seemed to be content drifting along in Usagi's shadow. The irony that Minako did the same thing, only to Rei, was lost on her.

"Hey, Makoto?"

"Yo."

"What do you think of . . . no, never mind."

"'Kay."

"You know, I just don't get you."

"Sorry."

Minako fell back on her bed, clapped a pillow over her mouth and screamed in fustration.

* * *

Ami lay on her bed in the darkness of her room. She should be asleep. Her optimum bedtime, calculated by her fitness level, age, average physical activity per day, travel time and schoolwork, had passed more then an hour ago. But she couldn't sleep, for something new had happened today. Something wonderful.

She reached for her cell phone and flipped it open, then to the contacts menu.

Minako Aino Mother Mother's Office Rei Hino Makoto Kino Usagi Tsukino

New names on her phone list. Four of them. Perhaps they would even be her friends.

Dr. Hinako Mizuno MD, PhD, did not approve of friends. Social relationships were nothing more than a distraction and a waste of time, she said, but Ami had often longed for a friend. Just one. She'd never owned a stuffed animal. and talk of imaginary friends had been quickly sqaushed. Dr. Mizuno saw no reason to indulge flights of fancy. Imagination was there to be used to invent that which furthered the exploration and understanding of the universe.

Having those four names meant Ami was disobeying her mother.

She closed her phone.

Oddly, she didn't feel as bad about that as she should.

* * *

Usagi and Rei sat across from each other at the resturant and glared. Not anyone but a keen observer, who knew both girls well, could tell.

They put a pleasant mask on it of course, a show for their parents. Polite conversation wrapped around needle sharp barbs disguised as metaphors and euphinisims. At present, they were engaged in a razor sharp dance of trying to eat more neatly then the other.

Next to Usagi, Shingo, her younger brother, ate silently and tried to be invisible. He was convinced that someday, perhaps even tonight, Usagi and Rei were going to suddenly manifest magical powers or something like in an anime and slaughter each other in a spectacular display of violence.

While part of him was chomping at the bit for this, another part, the survival instinct of any little brother with a quick tempered sister, wanted to hide under the bed until it was over.

It was then that he noted that both girls were wearing identical wristwatches. Maybe they were henshin devices! His friends would be so jealous!

Then he rolled his eyes. The watches were just them trying to show each other up again. What sort of lunatic would put Rei and Usagi on the same Sentai team?

* * *

The hour was late, but Artemis hunched over the Spirit Scanner, checking over each and every sqaure inch of the planet, searching intently for one particuar soul.

"You will be of no use to anyone if you do not sleep, Artemis."

The Mage looked up, almost guiltily. "I will sleep soon. I just . . . I was hoping to find her."

Serenity might have been a hologram, but she could still give The Look and Artemis flinched. "What happended to Luna was not your fault, Artemis. She would have jumped into battle, trained or not." Her look softened. "She is much like her father when he was younger."

Artemis sighed. "Would that you were wrong, but the fact remains that we should have left with the transports and not stayed behind. Luna's education was my responsibility and I failed her."

Serenity would have laid a comforting hand on his shoulder if she could, but instead she gave him a soft smile. "The bond between a Master and his Apprentice is strong, but even more so when it is also Father and Daughter."

"I should have told her who I am."

"Would it have changed anything? The Mau do not acknowledge fathers. You know that."

"I . . . I would like to think so. Part of her is Imperial. I had always hoped that . . . it is a foolish hope, I know."

"Are you proud of her?"

"Of course! She was a brilliant mage! She was almost ready for her Trials."

"And at a young age too, due to your instruction. Take comfort in that." Another smile. "Seek your bed, Artemis. I will mind the scanner."

"Serenity, you do not need to-"

"I need less sleep then you, and . . ." She trailed off, concern on her face.

"Serenity?"

"I want to research a way to break through the Chronos Shield, if I can. We may need the Keepers' help before this is through."

Artemis blinked and then chose his next words very carefully. "Your Majesty, I am oath-bound to remind you that your father forbade contact with both the Keepers and the outer planets. A decision that was upheld by the Senate."

"And look where it got us," Serenity snapped, bitterness in her voice and then she looked down. "No, you are correct, Artemis, he did, and for good reason. But you and I both know part of that reason was his fury at Setsuna."

"The Lady had always known her own mind. I must also remind you that trafficking with the Keepers of Time is not without risk."

"As I well know," Serenity replied, "But you and I, the Senshi and this place are all that's left of the Imperium. Our options are few and I must take larger risks if we are see Beryl defeated. Your duty may be to offer counsel, and I welcome and acknowledge your words and the warning. But this is a Crisis of the Throne and the responsibility . . . and decision . . . is mine."

Artemis bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty." He straightened. "The Lower Tachyon Bands are usually the best place to find cracks in a Chronos Shield."

Serenity smiled. "Thank you, Artemis. Pleasant dreams."

"Good Night, Serenity."


	3. The First Mission

Beryl caressed the telescope in her war room. It was an ornate device, long and spindly. It had belonged to Beryl's mentor, Rita and she'd taken it after Rita had slipped and fallen down an old lift shaft. Strangely, the safety fields hadn't been working that day.

Very, very sad.

Beryl turned from it and gazed at the massive mirror on the wall.

With but a thought, the mirror seemed to ripple and then showed an arial view of Tokyo. Station A-10 was somewhere under the city, and with it, Artemis.

Beryl's lips curled back from her teeth in a snarl. Artemis. She hated him almost as much as Serenity. It was because of him that she didn't have the Morphing Wands. Because of him, she'd spent centuries locked away in a prison. A prison that had turned out to be right next to an old R&D lab. Completely out of date, of course, but usable.

Now she had not only the lab, but the prison's occupants had sworn their loyalty to her. Loyalty which was as fleeting as the wind, but again, would suffice. She crossed her arms and frowned at the mirror. Making do. Disgusting thought, but now was not a time to be shy. She turned away from the mirror and smiled at her generals. Jadeite the Tracker, Nephrite the Engineer, Zoisite the Spy, and Kunzite the Warrior.

All High Mages, all hers.

She smiled again. First, Artemis, then Serenity, and then, she would have the Imperium.

And then . . . then she would be God.

* * *

Usagi chewed on her pencil and thought about alcohol.

Not for her, of course. Quite frankly, the smell turned her stomach. No, she wanted to give it to Rei. Give a lot of it to Rei, then tie her to chair, shave off all her hair, and take lots and lots of photos. Maybe even a few movies.

Rei loved her hair.

Usagi pictured a bald Rei and stifled a giggle.

Her watch beeped.

* * *

Artemis whirled in relief at the sound of the teleport.

"Yo." Makoto said. Ami looked nervous.

It was just the two of them.

"Where's-"

"They ain't comin," Makoto said. She glanced at her wrist. "Gotta be back in twenty or my cake is ruined, though." Artemis stared at her blankly. "Home Ec. Teacher's chill."

"Li-librar-ry," Ami supplied. "I . . . I spend a lot of time there." She bit her lower lip.

"But . . . but the signal! All five communicators should have gone off."

"Yeah," Makoto nodded. "They got Kamahura this hour and you gotta raise your hand to ask permission to sneeze. Dude's got total jones for control."

"Ai yi yi yi," Artemis moaned. He understood immediately. The watches go off, this Kamahura hands out a punishment. Blast, he had totally overlooked the fact that they'd recruited schoolgirls. Their time was not their own. If Beryl caught onto this . . .

"A silent function and some pre-planning will serve us well for next time," Serenity broke in. "Artemis, retrieve the other Senshi and rendezvous at the mall. In the meantime, Makoto, Ami, observe the viewing globe."

"Of course." Artemis bowed and vanished. Makoto and Ami peered at the glass sphere. In it, a swarm of rocklike creatures rampaged through a mall, smashing anything they could lay their hands on.

"Golems," Serenity said. "Faux elementals, probably made out of Moonrock. Beryl must have found a weapons lab."

"Th-there's a lot of them," Ami observed.

"Yes, but what they have in numbers, they lack in armor," Serenity replied. The upside down crescent moon on their chest is the binding rune. Any blunt force strike to that spot will break the binding."

"Cool." Makoto reached down the front of her school blouse and produced her Morphing Wand. Ami stared at her and Makoto shrugged. "Safest place for it. Sailor Senshi Green. Make-Up." There was a flash of green light and Makoto was gone.

Ami fumbled her wand out of her pocket, and held it high.

"You're holding it upside down," Serenity said gently.

Ami blushed bright red.

* * *

Artemis' original plan had been to simply walk in under the guise of a visiting parent or some other official, collect the girls, leave dopplegangers in their place, and teleport out.

However, a quick telepathic scan and survey of the school's perimeter put paid to that idea very quickly. Cameras guarded the gates and the grounds were watched. Worse, someone had sanctified several of the oak trees on the grounds, preventing the use of any kind of magical obfuscation and Artemis had neither the time nor tools to construct counter-wards. Pausing at the gate under the pretense of lighting a cigarette, Artemis considered the gate itself. Not quite cold iron, but close enough. He could blast his way in, but any true High Mage abhorred brute force.

He could talk his way in, but that would take time and he had wasted too much already. He looked around and his eyes fell on an office building across the street. A tall office building that offered a line of sight to the roof.

That would do nicely.

* * *

Makoto materialized in the middle of the mall. She was clad in a green and white armored bodysuit with helmet that completely covered her from head to toe. She cocked her head as knowledge manifested in her mind. How to use her powers, how to fight. Not that she really needed the second part, though it was a form she'd never seen before.

Her communicator chimed. "Makoto, this is Serenity. Ami . . .will be along presently, and Artemis has run into an obstacle or two, in his words. For the moment, you are on your own."

"Righteous," Makoto replied. Reaching over each shoulder, she drew the twin power axes.

* * *

Serenity was honest enough with herself to admit that she rather enjoyed being a giant holographic head, but, she was also a mother . . . had been a mother, rather, and Ami was triggering her maternal instinct.

Abandoning the head projection, she re-cast her image as a full body image and clothed it in a white robe.

Ami sat on the floor of the control platform, knees pulled up to her chest and shoulders shaking.

"Ami?" Serenity asked, crouching next to her.

"I-I'm sorry!"

"Sorry for what?"

"I s-said I would fight and then I fumbled and you h-had to correct me and -"

"Ami!" Serenity said, more sharply then she'd intended. "Ami, do you know anything about color and the emotional spectrum?"

"Of course. Psychologists have studied it. Yellow is known to -"

"Ami," Serenity said and cut her off with a raised hand. "The wand's colors reflect certain personality traits. I was a Senshi once, too."

"Y-you were?"

"Yes, in fact, I was the Blue Senshi, just like you. But then, I grew, and matured and my color changed. When I assumed the throne, I had been the Red Senshi for . . . well, a long time."

Ami met Serenity's eyes. "B-but Rei is nothing like you!"

Serenity smiled, pleased that Ami had already worked out at least some of the connection between color and inner nature. In fact, she . . . Serenity pushed that thought aside for later. "Red and Yellow are the colors of passion. But Red is the color for passion of the Spirit and that is not always the brash and reckless type. You are Blue, the power of the Mind. Your intellect is your power, more then any of the other girls. In a way, you have an even more powerful spirit then Rei."

"R-really?" Ami asked.

"Really," Serenity confirmed. "You have your destiny, but it is largely unformed, like clay. You must mold it into something that is yours. Something that fits you." Serenity laid her hand over Ami's. "This is your tool for molding that destiny, but so is your mind, and most importantly, your heart. But, you must claim the right to mold it, or it will mold you." She smiled. "Does that help?"

Ami looked up at her, then down at the wand in her hand. "I-I th-th-think so."

Serenity nodded and stood. "It might help if you claimed it out loud."

"S-s-sailor Senshi Blue, M-m-make-up?"

* * *

The rescue went almost as planned. Artemis turned into a bird and glided to the school roof in a parabolic arc. Now shielded from the wards, he cast a spell on himself to encourage people to pay him no mind and headed downstairs, following the faint energy of the wands.

The halls were empty, though he passed a few students. One or two gave him a curious glance before losing interest and he made a note of it. When they were done with Beryl, he would have to rebuild the High Mages and he would need recruits with strong magical potential. Anyone who could pierce his spell at all, much less be curious, had that sort of potential.

He may even have to rebuild them just to defeat her. His smile was grim as he considered the mental image of the Senshi backed by a fully realized legion of High Mages. Oh yes, that was a pleasant thought.

He found Minako, Usagi, and Rei in a classroom. They were standing as a small man in a starched shirt and tie lectured them on their failings, which were legion, apparently. Artemis found himself both vaguely horrified and very impressed by the man. Really. He had no idea that the fact that Rei's socks were of light cotton meant that she was unloved and was doomed to thankless employment in the fast food industry. Fascinating, absolutely fascinating.

He flicked a finger and the man froze in mid-tirade. "I thought perhaps you would all care for a little break," he said and they turned, smiling broadly.

"Artemis!" Usagi crowed.

"Trouble?" Rei asked.

"Beryl is attacking a shopping mall," Artemis replied. "Are you ready?"

"What about Kahamura?" Minako asked. "Are you going to leave him like that?"

"Will you?" Usagi added. "Please?"

"That would be bad for all concerned," Artemis replied and cast a very complicated spell. With a flash of light, three more people appeared the in the room. The newcomers were exact duplicates of Usagi, Rei, and Minako.

"The Hell?" Rei asked.

"Dopplegangers," Artemis replied. "Think of them as little bits of you given form." He addressed the dopplegangers directly. "Finish out the school day and stick to routine whenever possible. As soon as you leave school, head directly to the station for reintegration."

The Dopplegangers nodded.

Artemis nodded and then spoke again. "No side trips, and stay in character." The dopplegangers all frowned at that, but nodded again.

"Stay in character?" Rei asked as they retrieved their wands and the dopplegangers took their positions.

Artemis nodded. "Dopplegangers may be bits of you, but its the bits you can do without. Unless you give them specific instructions, they get up to mischief that you have to pay for." He looked them over. "Ready?" They nodded and he turned away from them. "Then it's morphin' time. Sailor Senshi Black, make-up!"

"Sailor Senshi White, make-up!"

"Sailor Senshi Red, make up!"

"Sailor Senshi Yellow, make-up!"

They vanished in pillars of light and Kamahura resumed his tirade, not even realizing what had happened.

* * *

They materialized in a cave of ice, weapons deployed. Artemis and Rei had staffs, Usagi a sword, and Minako a chain whip that crackled with energy.

"Where are we?" Usagi asked, "I thought you said they were attacking the mall."

"A mall, meatball head," Rei corrected and Usagi snarled. "And look around you. This is a mall. It's just been covered with ice."

"Yo!" They turned to see Makoto, already out of her Senshi costume, sitting on a bench, drinking tea from a cup and her feet up on a very large box. Ami was curled up next to her, shaking as she hyperventilated into a paper bag.

"Are you both all right?" Artemis asked.

"What happened?" Minako asked, touching an ice covered tea cart and then jumping backwards as it collapsed and shattered into pieces.

"Ami got mad," Makoto replied. "It was awesome." Everyone looked at Ami, who tried to curl up into an even smaller ball. "Mall's gonna need a plumber, though."

Artemis raised his staff, banishing most of the ice, and Usagi inhaled noisily.

". . . holy . . . crap . . ." she breathed.

The mall hadn't just been damaged, it had been torn apart by a deranged tornado. Water pipes reared upwards from cracks the floor, the central fountain had been smashed into dust, and storefront displays had been ripped up and tossed carelessly aside. Several pipes hung out of the walls and there was nothing but a hole where the bathrooms had been. The air carried the faint scent of raw sewage and ozone.

"She did this," Rei asked in disbelief, pointing at Ami, who squeaked out an apology. "Her? By getting mad? Her?"

"She is the Senshi of water," Artemis said, "and most people underestimate water's power."

"She got mad enough to do this though?" Rei was still shaking her head in disbelief.

"Really mad," Makoto confirmed. "Dunno what the cat chick said to her, but it must have been bad."

"What cat chick?" Rei demanded.

"In here," Makoto said, using her heel to tap the box she had her feet up on. "Ami bounced her off the roof and then she bounced off the floor when she landed."

"And you stuck her in a cardboard box?" Rei asked wearily.

"Tied her up with duct tape first. Ain't stupid."

" . . . Duct tape," Rei repeated. "You amaze me, Kino."

"Thanks." Makoto looked down as her other watch beeped. "Dudes, I gotta amscray back to Home Ec. Cake's almost done."

"Of course," Artemis said weakly. "Could you teleport to the Command Center with Ami first, and tell Serenity what happened? We'll be along shortly."

"Right on," Makoto said, pulling Ami upright. There was a flash of light, and they were gone.

Artemis raised his hand and slammed the butt of his staff into the floor three times. On the third time, there was a blinding flash.

When it cleared. the mall was still a wreck, but it was a different kind of wreck. The pipes no longer stuck out of the walls and floors and the destruction was more evenly spread.

"That should keep the police busy looking for more mundane explanations," Artemis said. "Teleport back to the Command Center. You can't leave until your dopplegangers show up, so you might as well."

They dutifully complied, though not without a protest from Usagi. Artemis looked around. All this with just the water in the mall's pipes. Something would have to be done about Ami and soon. Her power was incredible, but her temper made her easy prey.

He had some ideas on that, but that was for the future. He could hear the police approaching and cast the spell to return both him and the box to the command center.

Materializing, he looked around. Ami sat on the floor, legs pulled up to her chest. Usagi and Rei were glaring at each other as Minako looked on.

Powering down from Senshi mode, Artemis levitated the box into the air. "Ami," he said, "you had best get back to school before you're missed."

"I'm never missed," Ami murmured, too quiet for anyone to hear. She nodded and vanished.

Artemis looked at the remaining girls. "As for you three . . ." He trailed off as he realized he had no idea how to keep three teenage girls entertained. "Um . . ."

A glowing orb appeared. "Ladies. come with me," it said in Serenity's voice. "Artemis, take our guest to security."

* * *

Both of Artemis' eyebrows rose up as he peered inside the box. Inside was a veritable duct tape mummy, with only a beaky nose poking out and surrounded by packing peanuts.

"At least she's thorough," Artemis murmured. "I suppose that's something." Nonetheless, he wondered why he had skipped Divination at the Academy. Knowing about the girls ahead of time would have been nice. 'Ah, but where's the fun in that?' said a voice that sounded suspiciously like his brother.

Setting up a containment field, he banished box and tape. Both his eyebrows promptly rose up, disappeared into his hairline and stopped somewhere around the back of his head.

It was a man, with long black hair, makeup, and wearing a skimpy yellow top and shorts with suspenders. His feet were clad in thigh high stockings and cat like ears poked out of his hair. He was also a Chomirite, the race that had inspired the human myth of the centaur.

High Mage Displince kept Artemis' expression neutral, but he was going to have to speak with Makoto about her sense of humor.

* * *

Author's note: If it helps, the Chomirite is wearing Faye Valentine's distinctive yellow outfit.


	4. History Lessons and Mounting Up

"Just how big is this place?" Rei asked.

"Big." Serenity replied. "The intent behind the design was to provide an operations base in the event of the Imperium's destruction."

"Which did happen!" Minako added cheerfully and then wilted under Rei's frown.

"As there are only the seven of us, however, most of the station remains under Stasis fields," Serenity continued. "There's little point."

"So where are we going?" Usagi asked. "The kitchen?"

"In a bit. I want you to see something."

They emerged from the hallway onto a walkway. The room was dimly lit, but there was the sense of vastness, huge and empty. Below and in the distance, they could see large silvery cubes that glowed with a soft light.

"Cool!" Minako exclaimed, going to lean over the railing, only to leap back as something snapped at the air below and in front of her toes.

There was a groan and a clank and overhead, massive lights switched on. Cautiously, the girls advanced to the railing once more. Below them, they could see . . . monsters.

That was the only word for it. Directly below them was a red bird. Next to it was a green gorilla, and then a yellow cheetah. To their left, they could see a white lion, a black lion, and a white tiger, but with blue stripes, instead of black. They appeared to be machines, but there was something organic about their design.

"Imperial Battle Zords," Serenity said. "Biomechanical tanks powered by shamanistic magic. They are living machines and bonded to the Senshi who drives them." She sounded incredibly pleased.

The red bird, which upon closer inspection was actually a phoenix, glared at them balefully and then snapped at them again, its expression murderous.

"I don't think that one likes us very much," Usagi said.

"The Phoenix Zord was forged from fire," Serenity replied. "It is proud, competitive, and driven towards victory, no matter the cost."

Usagi smirked at Rei, who was staring at the bird with all her attention. The bird stared back, its expression softening to match her own. The metal of its skin rippled, subtly changing its face to resemble Rei's.

"The Zord is imprinting on her," Serenity told them, answering Usagi and Minako's unspoken question. "They are bonding." The Orb seemed to be looking at them. "And yes, you two will do the same."

* * *

"It's . . . weird," Rei admitted. She was curled up in an overstuffed chair, hands curled around a hot mug of tea. Her eyes swam with a combination of wonder and confusion. "It's like, this hole in me I didn't know I had has been filled. I can feel it in my mind and I know exactly where it is and if I wanted to call it, I could and it would come to me."

Usagi and Minako had both declined to bond with their Zords at that particular time. By unspoken agreement, they were watching Rei to see what happened to her before they tried it.

"I would ask you not to try that right now," Serenity said. Her voice danced with laughter. "The station's hallways were not designed to accommodate Zords."

Artemis entered, looking disgusted. "Nothing," he complained, sitting in a chair. "Our guest knows nothing." A sigh. "And I really need to talk to Makoto about her sense of humor."

"Kino doesn't have a sense of humor." Rei snapped. Minako and surprisingly, Usagi, nodded agreement.

"Humor is the philosophical expression of sadism," Minako said, lapsing into an impression of Makoto. "Laughing is the acceptance of that." She paused "Dude."

Usagi made a sound between a giggle and a snort.

"Then how . . . never mind. I don't want to know." Artemis crossed one leg over the other. "I see Rei bonded with her Zord." He was clearly trying to change the subject. "I suppose you have questions."

"Several, actually," Rei leaned forward. "Where did this Imperium come from and why is there no evidence of it here on earth?"

"There is," Artemis replied with a grin, "you just have to know what to look for."

"We don't actually know where we came from," Serenity told them. "Most of our history was lost during the Crisis and the following Breakdown. What survived are fragments and stories."

"The few surviving pre-Crisis records suggest that this solar system was once part of a much larger entity. Some sort of Empire," Artemis said. "The best guess anyone was able to make based on what we could find was that it imploded in the wake of a succession crisis. A goat seems to have been involved somehow. For lack of a better term, we call it The Precurser Empire."

Serenity took up the tale. "What we do know is that whatever happened to this Empire, this system fell into an age of strife and civil war. Again, record keeping was spotty, but we have evidence of a string of alliances that fell apart almost as soon as one member or another died."

"Serenity's grandfather was a minor warlord," Artemis got up to make some tea. "Fed up with all the warfare, he claimed a sector and stated that everything inside its boundaries belonged to him. Then, he simply expanded. By the time the major warlords realized they should take him seriously, it was too late. Once he had the system, he set about forging something that could hold together in a crisis, not become a tyranny, and could handle expansion, no matter how big it got or if there was another succession crisis."

"Grandfather died before the Imperium was really established," Serenity told them, "leaving my father to finish the job." She sounded wistful. "Father was a better general then politician, I'm afraid. He was competent enough, but subtlties escaped him. However, he did manage to cram the Imperium down enough throats that by the time I took the throne, we more or less had peace."

"Queen Serenity's reign was known as the Silver Millennium," Artemis said proudly. "We had safety, security, and thrived in a renaissance of science and art."

"Artemis, please." Serenity sounded embarrassed. "I did nothing more then my duty."

Rei nodded. "Now tell me about Beryl."

Artemis sighed. "Beryl is . . . was Serenity's sister. They were both excellent mages, and Beryl had their father's tactical skills, but she . . . was ill suited in other areas. She lacked empathy, compassion, and mercy. She believed in the so-called 'divine right to rule' almost fanatically." he scowled. "She also advocated the use of Dark Magics and the military might of the throne."

"For those reasons . . . among others, I was named Heir Primus, instead of her" Serenity said. "After Father died, I named her Governor of Earth."

"I would want her somewhere far away, personally," Usagi said. "Pluto, maybe. Some place with absolutely nothing there." Artemis' expression twitched, but only Minako saw, and it didn't really register.

"I had suspicions about Father's death and there were politics to consider, unfortunately. The Senate was unwilling to throw Beryl out of the line of succession entirely and I felt that if I exiled her, it would only lead to more trouble. Besides, she was still my sister and family . . . means a great deal to me. Earth was prestigious enough to prevent wagging tongues, close enough that I could discreetly keep an eye on her, and would hopefully keep her busy enough so that she wouldn't cause any trouble."

"Beryl was very good at multitasking, as it turned out," Artemis' voice was filled with wry humor. "On the eve of the Imperium's second millennium, Beryl attacked the Moon and demon armies descended upon the other worlds. Everything we'd built, gone. Thirty billion people brutally murdered. All in the space of mere hours."

"Beryl came for me, personally," Serenity said. "She cut down my daughter, her court, and their bodyguards as easily as you would swat a fly before nearly killing me."

"Beryl was weak enough from fighting Serenity, and arrogant enough that I managed to lock her and her generals in a prison through trickery." Artemis sat back down with his tea. "I put the Queen into a time warp to buy time until I had a way to save her life. This was the only unviolated Imperium structure nearby, so we came here." He spread his hands "I spent ten years or so setting up a warning net in case Beryl escaped and then put myself into coldsleep. And here we are."

Rei nodded, lips pursed in a thin line.

"Hey, can we go get lunch?" Usagi asked. "I'm starving."

"You're always starving!" Rei retorted.

"Just a snack. Today is shrine day, remember?"

"Of course I remember . . . oh man! It is shrine day!"

Artemis looked at them and then at Minako. "Shrine day?"

* * *

"Freak!"

Ami ignored the shouted insult. She was used to it. Smarty-pants, bitch, freak, arrogant, worthless, she'd heard them all and they'd long since ceased to affect her save for the cold pit in her stomach.

"I'm talking to you, freak!" A hand grabbed her arm and shoved her against the wall.

Even at a school that prized intelligence above all else, there were still bullies. Ami couldn't help being smart, and it wasn't like she was trying to outdo her peers, but math and science were just so . . . simple.

"Where you going, freak?"

Ami blinked and then her eyes widened. Standing in front of her were Mizuhara, Saotome, and Hizuhara, the three biggest students at the Academy and their ringleader, Mai.

As it did when she was nervous, Ami's stutter got even worse. "I-I-I-I-"

"What's wrong, freak? Scared?" Mai's smile was nasty and Ami realized that Mai was holding a bokken. With a lurch, Ami felt her stomach drop to her feet and her heart jump into her throat. She was going to die. The teachers wouldn't come to help her, no one would. Even they hated her. She'd heard them complaining that they had no idea what to do with her.

"Hey, freak," Hizuhara loomed over her. "Nice watch. Hand it over and maybe I won't beat you."

Her watch? The communicator! If she lost that, Artemis and Serenity would kick her out of the Senshi!

"Dude, harsh." Everybody looked. Makoto was leaning against the wall, arms crossed. "That's her watch."

"Who the hell are you?" Mai demanded.

"Friend O' Ami," Makoto replied.

"A friend? Freaks don't have friends!"

"Guess Ami ain't a freak, then."

Mai blinked at that and then looked Makoto up and down. "Oh, I see, one freak trying to stick up for another."

"Yup!" Makoto agreed, "being tall makes me a freak." She let her book bag fall to the ground and strolled forward. "Ami doesn't need me standing up for her, man. She's got a vicious temper."

"Temper? Her?" Mai scoffed. "Please."

"Nah, man, she does. Scares the hell out of me. I'm really clumsy and wouldn't last five seconds." She paused by Saotome and suddenly; her foot was planted against the side of his knee. "I'm not careful, I not only hurt myself, I hurt other people." She grabbed Saotome by the wrist, pulled his arm back, then planted her other hand just above his elbow and shoved downwards while kicking his injured leg out from under him. "See?" She planted her foot on his elbow and bent down. "Dude. I'm so sorry. Totally my bad. Here, you need a hand up?"

"No! No, I'm fine!" Saotome's voice had gone up at least three octaves out of sheer terror.

"Cool." Makoto straightened again, pushing down on his elbow with her foot as she did. "It really harshes my conscience when people get hurt around me, you know?" Mizuhara charged forward, reaching for Makoto, but she only sidestepped, caught one outstretched arm between her arm and head, and threw him to the ground. "Sorry, man." She pulled him to his feet, whipped him around and sent him flying into the wall, face first. " Scuse me, really." Mizuhara slumped to the ground and stayed there.

"Who the hell are you?" Mai demanded.

"Aw, man, you mean I forgot to introduce myself? Jeez. Where is my head today?" Makoto actually made a formal bow. "Makoto Kino, pleased to meet you."

Hizuhara turned pale. "Makoto Kino? The youngest triple black belt in Japan?"

"That's what they tell me. I don't worry about labels, you know?" Hizuhara actually turned and fled, leaving Mai alone. Makoto grinned. "Don't know how it happened, myself. Big, clumsy, freak like me getting a black belt. Weird, you know?" She reached out and yanked the bokken from Mai's hand. "So yeah, I'd steer clear of Ami if I were you. She'd beat you up, then I'd have to come visit you, and hospitals give me a major case of the downs." Makoto slammed the bokken against the wall, breaking it in half. "Oops!" She let the halves fall to the ground. "Sorry about that."

Mai stood there; mouth agape and Ami suddenly realized that Mai wasn't that scary at all. Ami was actually taller then her. It was only Mai's aggressiveness and her gang that made her frightening. Mai's eyes narrowed. "Fine then, freak," she sneered at Ami. "Go off with your pet dyke. She won't be around all the time you know." She turned on her heel and stalked off.

"Dude, so much hate in that chick," Makoto observed. She looked over at Saotome and Mizuhara, who were slowly sitting up. "Man, if I was you, I'd steer clear of her from now on. She's trouble and I'd hate to see you get into trouble, y'know?"

"We know! We know!" they chorused. "We appreciate your concern for our well being!"

"Awesome. C'mon, Ami, let's go or we'll miss the bus." Makoto retrieved her bag and led Ami away.

"Th-than-thank y-ou," Ami said when they'd reached the bus stop.

Makoto shrugged. "Dude, it's shrine day."

Ami blinked. "Shrine day?"

* * *

Rei's grandfather on her father's side ran a Shinto shrine out on Cherry Hill. Once a week, Rei and Usagi made the journey to help out around the shrine. Their Grandfather was beginning to feel his age and his apprentice, a wandering musician, was only barely more competent as a handyman then as a priest.

So, Usagi and Rei came down to help out, and Minako and Makoto usually tagged along. Rei was even training as a shrine maiden.

"Rei totally digs the rituals and stuff," Makoto told Ami as they climbed the stairs to the shrine itself. "Usagi's only here 'cause it's Grandpa, y'know? And Minako goes where Rei goes."

"Wh-What about you?" Ami asked.

"There's this awesome garden here. Totally restores balance to your mellow." She produced an MP3 player from her bag. "Major groove time." She wandered off, whistling.

Ami stood there in the courtyard, wondering what she should do now. Doctor Hinako Mizuno M.D. PhD viewed religion as an outdated social crutch that was only present because of misguided nostalgia. Shrines were to be respected for their historical value, but were otherwise worthless.

"I'm told that this shrine is almost a thousand years old," said Artemis' voice from her left shoulder and Ami jumped. "Sorry." Artemis had abandoned his robes and now wore a suit with no tie and a long black coat in place of the jacket. A circular wide-brimmed hat sat on his head and he wore rounded sunglasses low on his nose. He'd tied his hair back and looked perfectly relaxed.

"R-r-r-really?" Ami asked.

"Mmm-hmm. The tree it's dedicated to is supposed to be even older. Come to think of it, I think I was born around here somewhere." He turned. "In fact . . . yes," he pointed at a rocky hill in the distance. "That's the Bul'dani watchtower, so that makes this hill Magiester Hus'sunann's old guest house, which puts my house over there." He paused. "When did they put a river in?"

"T-the hill is a g-guest h-house?" Ami asked.

"Oh yes. It was a cultural quirk. If you terraform a planet so it can support life, like we did with Mars, you can build on the surface. But if the planet is already capable of supporting life, you need to build underground, to merge your cities with the planet as much as possible." Artemis adjusted his sunglasses. "I think we were all just closet environmentalists, to be honest." He began walking and Ami automatically fell into step beside him. "Beryl's attack either obliterated the few exterior structures or they covered themselves with shields to hide." He waved at the rocky hill he'd called a watchtower. "See how that one rounded formation on the hillside looks a bit too regular?" Ami nodded. "And if you look really close, it almost seems how there's a horizontal crack at the midway mark and a vertical line from the top that intersects, but doesn't cross it?"

"S-s-sort of. I-I th-think."

"That's the defensive and concealment spells at work. That watchtower actually predates Serenity's grandfather by a few eons. It was a tourist attraction when I was a child. Still kept in working order, of course. Too many people remembered the times before King-Emperor Malanikai founded the Imperium and wanted to be prepared." He sat down on a bench. "I'm glad Makoto brought you here, Ami. I want to talk to you about what happened at the mall today." Her emotions must have showed on her face because was quick to continue. "No, no. I'm not throwing you off the team. I just want to make you an offer."

Ami sat down next to him. "Of-offer?"

Artemis nodded. "You control water, Ami. Of all the Senshi, you have the widest effect when you use your powers. Water is everywhere, as you well know. In the air, in the ground," he paused. "In people."

Ami stared at him in horror. "I-I-I-I-I-"

"I know you wouldn't. Not intentionally. But when you lose your temper, you are capable of violence on a potentially cataclysmic scale. Your powers are still new and you were limited to the mall's water supply and you still wrecked it. Imagine what you could do with a lake, or the sea. What if you got really mad at someone?"

Ami's face paled and even her hair seemed to be a few shades lighter.

Artemis nodded grimly. "Exactly. You need to be able to harness your anger. That's what I want to talk to you about." He looked at the great tree. "Beryl will be beaten someday. After that, the Imperium will need to be rebuilt. In the old days, every Senshi was also a High Mage. Serenity thinks, and I agree, that of all the girls, you have the potential to be a phenomenal High Mage and someone will have to lead the Academy when I'm gone."

"M-m-me?"

"Yes. Especially since part of being a High Mage is the control and channeling of emotions, which you could benefit from." Artemis laid his hand on her shoulder. "I'm not asking for an answer now. Just think it over." Ami nodded and Artemis stood. "Just come to the command center when you've decided." He flickered and vanished.

Ami sat there and thought until the sun began to set.

* * *

That Night . . .

As the sound of the teleport echoed in the silence of the command center, Serenity activated her interface to see who it was. She wasn't completely surprised.

"Hello, Rei," Serenity said gently.

"Hi," Rei looked edgy and seemed to be filled with restless energy. She was wearing her nightgown and a thin silk robe.

"Can't sleep, can you?"

Rei shook her head. "I want to be out. To do . . . something. I feel . . . called."

"It's the Zord," Serenity told her. "It has a partner now and it wants to fly."

"Can I?"

"Normally, Artemis should be here to guide you," Serenity smiled. "But I think I can manage," she added with wry humor. "Do you remember how to get to the hanger?"

Rei nodded and practically bolted out of the room. It wasn't until she had reached the hanger, morphed, and leapt into the Zord's cockpit that she realized what she'd done. And yet, the shock faded as she felt the pilot's chair adjust to her body and a sense of rightness, of belonging, filled her.

"Don't enjoy that bond too much. The Zords have been known to absorb pilots who get too absorbed in the bond," Serenity told her and Rei blinked, wondering if Serenity was teasing her or not. The compartment was big enough for exactly one person. A reclining chair with a crystal orb on each arm and that was it. No other visible controls. "Place your hands on the orbs and relax into the bond," Serenity instructed.

Rei did so. "Wow." The cockpit around her vanished, to be replaced by a view of the hanger bay and then she became the Zord.

It was the only way to describe it. She could feel her body, yes, but she was the Zord. She was the Zord and the Zord was she and the sky was calling. She made a noise in her throat and Serenity laughed.

"Walk out of the bay and turn to your left, I'll get the hanger doors opened. You can have a few hours and then you'll need to return. If you're seen, it could compromise operations. Stay out to sea and at high altitude."

"Sure," Rei replied as she walked out of the berth. She was so close to being able to spread her wings again.

There was a creak and a grown and the left wall began to part down the middle as the doors opened. No, doors were an understatement. There were several doors, each several centimeters thick. Then she saw the sky and all other thoughts vanished.

Wings spread and she was aloft, joyous laughter bubbling in her throat as she soared high above the earth. She wheeled, she turned and she rolled. She was free. No family. No school. No demands and responsibility. Just the call of the sky and the wind. She reveled in it, luxuriated in it.

"REI!"

She jumped in her chair as Serenity's voice blasted out of the com. "What? An attack?"

"No, no. But it's time to come in. It's only an hour until dawn."

"What?" Reflexively, she looked at her wrist, realized she wasn't wearing her watch and looked to the east instead. This high up, she could see the faint light of the sun over the curvature of the earth. "How long was I up there?"

"Six hours. I warned you that the Zords tend to absorb their pilots if they sink too far into their bond."

"You're speaking metaphorically, right?"

"Well," Serenity's voice turned thoughtful. "We never did find the last Yellow Senshi . . .," Then Serenity laughed. "Oh, the look on your face! Yes, mostly metaphor, but there is always the chance of a pilot bonding so completely with their Zord that their consciousness actually leaves their body and moves to the Zord permanently."

Rei nodded and then fixed that fact firmly in her mind. Now that she knew the danger, she would never fall prey to it. "I understand."

"Good. Now come home. The Zord knows the way."

Rei headed back towards Japan. She would be tired beyond belief today, but it was worth it.


	5. Meltdown

It was on the third mission that the Senshi were revealed to the world. This was because it was the first mission that saw all six of the Senshi in action at once, the place the mission happened in, and it was the first use of the Zords.

Later, Artemis would cynically note that while his worst fears about Ami's temper had been proven to be true, there also was no more doubt about taking her seriously. From both her teammates, and Beryl.

* * *

_The hate pumped through her like blood. Hot and rich. She sat in her room and burned._

_Stupid. Ugly. Worthless. She'd heard them. Never to her face. They were all too afraid of her to say it to her face. Especially the freak._

_The hate surged, boiling her in its inferno as she cut into her arm with the razor._

_She should be the number one student. She who had gotten in because of her brains. She who had worked for it. Worked hard._

_But then the freak came. With her blue eyes and cute hair and well-mannered and clear skin and screwed her out of the top spot. How dare she? How dare anyone?_

_Nostrils flared, eyes fixed on the wall and seeing nothing, teeth bared and air passing between them as she breathed rapidly._

_Freaks. They were all freaks. Didn't deserve to be out with the normal people. Why couldn't they just die?_

_Better yet, she oughta just kill them. Kill them all. Yeah. She could have killed the freak the other day if that oversized dyke hadn't showed up. In fact, she could have killed the freak and no one would have stopped her. Then all the freaks would see what happened when you didn't know your place._

_She'd show them. Kill the freak. Kill all the freaks._

_She'd be a hero._

_The razor sank deeper and deeper into her flesh and she felt no pain . . ._

* * *

Usagi had a gift; She could control minds.

Or at least, that was the only explanation Artemis could come up with as to why he was accompanying them on a day out on the town. Ami had come too, and she looked around nervously, her arm caught in Usagi's death grip since it looked like she might bolt otherwise.

Also in the group was Mamoru, Rei's boyfriend, who looked slightly uncomfortable at being surrounded by giggling girls. Well, except for Ami, who was white with terror, and Makoto. Makoto did not giggle. Makoto was dressed in a sleeveless blouse and well-worn jeans with battered sneakers.

"So why did you come along?" Artemis asked her. He had yet to figure Makoto out. No one could be that laid back. It just made no sense to him.

"Walkin's good exercise," Makoto responded. "Smell the air and feel the sun."

While Artemis could share the sentiment of the sun, he wasn't so sure about the air. The city of Tokyo had been built on the site of Cear Edoton, one of the Imperium's few surface cities, mostly because of the spaceport. It had been atomized when Beryl attacked.

For a moment, Artemis was twelve years old again, walking down Nebertou Street with his parents. The sunlight glinted off the bronze and crystal buildings and the air smelled sweet and clear. There had been just as many vehicles in Cear Edoton as there was in Tokyo, but Cear Edoton's vehicles used fusion micro-batteries for power, which didn't stink up the air as much as the internal combustion engine did.

On the other hand, if it hadn't been for all the fusion micro-batteries, Cear Edoton wouldn't had been atomized.

"I suppose so," Artemis replied, jerking himself back to the present time.

He wondered if Luna had ever been - he broke off that thought as a car suddenly flipped into the air, heading straight for them. Reflexively, he blasted it away with a burst spell and then looked around. Nobody seemed to have noticed and Mamoru was already vaulting over cars to help.

"Dudes, we got a problem." Makoto pointed to where the car had come from as another one flipped into the air. In the middle of the new space was a creature that looked like a cross between a Minotaur, a goat, and a cockroach, and was surrounded by rock creatures with upside down crescent moons on their chests.

Artemis' communicator chimed. "I see them, my Queen," Artemis replied. "We're looking for a place to morph now."

Minako had spied an alleyway and Makoto was clearing a path through the crowd.

"Senshi, that thing is, or was, Lord Taras. My father had him imprisoned in Zear Oeras for disruption of the peace."

"A high-security prison for the most dangerous prisoners," Artemis explained.

"That seems kind of harsh," Minako noted.

"Yes, well, Father abhorred exaggeration," Serenity said dryly. "Taras used a mega gigaton antimatter bomb and completely destroyed Aear Minos, the only pre-Breakdown city. That's why Neptune and Pluto cross orbits and Uranus is on its side."

Usagi and Minako giggled.

"So what happened to him?" Rei asked.

"Unknown," Serenity replied. "Though I have some suspicions."

"Mikales?" Artemis asked.

"Or someone who found his records. You should all know that Taras was an Elemental High Mage. His powers were sealed at the time of his imprisonment, but the seals may have been broken or his mutation could have stripped him of them. In case of the former, I want Artemis to deal with him. The other Senshi will confront the Golems."

"Understood," Artemis replied.

There was a soft chime, indicating that Serenity had switched to a private channel. "Artemis. Taras' elemental speciality was water. If he retains any of his powers, he will know Ami for who and what she is. Do not allow them to confront each other and no matter what, he is not to return to Beryl under any circumstances.""

Artemis keyed his com twice as an acknowledgement as they reached the alley and slipped in. "Ready?" He asked. "It's morphin time!"

* * *

Beryl sat on her throne and watched her mirror as it showed the carnage Taras was wreaking on Tokyo. He was a master craftsman, really and Mikales's modifications had only heightened Taras' abilities.

At that moment, a yellow-clad figure leapt into view and cleared a squad of Golems with a single beam from her outstretched finger. Instantly, Beryl's face contorted with rage.

Senshi? Here? But how-Artemis! Somehow, he'd found and recruited new Senshi. But where had he found Imperials? She watched as other figures joined the yellow one, including one in black, wielding a very familiar staff. Or had he? Could he have really been so desperate as to recruit humans? She almost laughed. He had! This would be too easy.

"Taras," she said into the communicator, "the one in black is Artemis. Bring him to me, dead or alive," she paused. "I prefer dead."

Artemis gazed up at Taras, grateful that his helmet was hiding his face. He'd heard of Taras. The man had been an Elder, one of the High Mages who'd backed Warlord Malinkai when he'd begun forging the Imperium. He'd re-founded the High Mage Order and had been instrumental in reuniting the warring factions on Mars. Artemis prayed that the seals were still there on Taras' powers. This would be hard enough as it was.

"Why?" Artemis asked. "Why did you destroy Aear Minos?"

"I see standards have fallen," Taras observed. "In my day, a duel was begun properly, with honor and respect, not interrogation."

"I don't bother with honor when it comes to murderers," Artemis growled back. "King-Emperor Naron should have had you executed, not imprisoned." He brought his staff up into a guard position. "Shall we?"

Taras was suddenly moving, his great claws tearing at the air as Artemis blocked with his staff. Such speed! With great difficulty, Artemis managed to block all of them

"Impressive," Artemis said as they stepped back and began circling each other. "Doctor Mikales, I assume?"

"Indeed. He asked me to be sure that I presented his compliments to you before I took your head."

"He remembered. I'm flattered."

"You'd be surprised how many people in Zear Oden remember you, Artemis. Oddly enough, they all want you dead."

Artemis' steps faltered for a fraction of a second. Zear Oden? He'd locked Beryl and her generals in Zear Oden? Ay Yi Yi Yi! No wonder she had a weapons lab. He bit back several curses. He could do nothing about that right now.

Shifting stances, he lunged in, hitting Taras in the knee with his staff and throwing in a blast spell, but Taras had already moved, and Artemis was forced to dodge a kick that would have undoubtedly gutted him like a fish.

"Clumsy," Taras noted. "Risky, with insufficient reward. Tell me, Artemis, how did you manage to get all those people locked up?"

"I cheated a lot," was the bland reply and then he stamped his foot, triggering the spells in the sole of his boot. He had placed them there centuries ago, before Beryl and in direct violation of the Senate's edicts about unapproved augmentation.

The impact released the seals on the earth elemental and it lunged out, impaling Taras as the very street sprouted spikes and then slabs rose up, driving the spikes into Taras' body before a snake of rock rose up, its head replaced by a point, and then drove in through the top.

The binding completed, the elemental fled back into the earth and the rock around Taras crumbled. Taras smiled and then his arms and hands suddenly sprouted spikes. Large, very sharp looking spikes that crackled with lightning.

"I cheat too," Taras said and lunged.

In the viewing chamber, Beryl's lip curled. The golems were almost defeated. If the Senshi joined in, human or not, Taras risked defeat.

"Jadeite," she snapped.

"At your service, Mistress," the general replied instantly.

"There's an access to my father's private armory in the library bathroom on the four hundred and twenty-fifth floor. Take Nephrite and break in. Bring me lot number six seven oh eight four alpha and be quick about it."

"Your will, Mistress." The two men vanished.

Beryl steepled her fingers. For security reasons, the bathroom accesses were secured with magnetic locks controlled by a simple computer instead of the AI's which governed the main entrances. They didn't show up on the surveillance systems and were intended to provide backdoor access in the event that the palace was compromised. Their secrecy was their main defense.

Fortunately, Beryl knew quite a few secrets.

* * *

**Cear Meres ruins, Mars**

Luna of the Mau, Lord General to Queen Beryl, sniffed the air. Here, deep in the subterranean vaults of Cear Meres, she had little need for the air mask hanging at her side. The scrubbers had failed eons ago, but the hydroponic reactor was still functional. Nonetheless, scents still lingered in the air.

She looked at the map unit on her wrist, turned, and then set off in the ground-covering lope so characteristic of her people. Done properly, and with focus of will and a strong body, a Mau could cover huge distances without tiring.

Luna was strong, and her will was of iron.

She would have her prey. It was simply a matter of time.

Jadeite and Nephrite were back within moments. Jadeite held a pair of staffs, one topped with a silver Z, the other was black, topped with a sun and crescent moon symbol. "Mistress," Jadeite said, holding out the staffs as he bowed.

Beryl smiled as she accepted the offering and examined the staffs before handing the silver one to Nephrite. "Begin reverse engineering and mass production on this at once," she ordered. "I want one for each prisoner in Zear Oden. Including Mikales' lab."

"Your will, Mistress," Nephrite said, and vanished.

"I beg your pardon, Mistress," Jadeite said, "but what is the purpose of these staffs?"

Beryl smiled. "Are you familiar with High Mage Lord Zederach the Vile?"

Jadeite shook his head. "I recall the name, but little else, Mistress."

"Zederach believed it was possible to change size and mass through the use of folded space and dimensional pockets. My father opposed the idea, of course, and ordered Zederach's arrest. Zederach was sent to Zear Oeras and later was killed in a reactor breach. But he had completed two prototypes before his arrest; These staffs. Between them, Mikales, and Zear Oden, I will be unstoppable." She hefted the staff in her hand. "You would think Father would destroy these, but he was too much the military man to destroy a possible weapon."

With a wave of her hand, she opened a warp portal. "GROW, TARAS," she called out. "GROW, AND DESTROY MY ENEMIES!"

She hurled the staff into the warp portal.

* * *

As it turned out, Makoto and Rei could combine their powers into what Minako dubbed "The Thunderfire attack". But that was later, and back at headquarters. As it was, the shockwave scattered the Senshi and Ami suddenly found herself face to face with Taras. Alone.

S-s-surr-surr-surrender," Ami stammered, holding her shield before her. Her sword lay on the ground at her feet. "I-I- I d-d-don't wa-wa-want t-to h-h-h-hurt you."

"Brave talk from a mere child who shakes like a leaf," Taras snarled, stepping closer and then he leaned down to peer at her. "What's this? Well well well, where did Artemis find you?" He reached out his hand and then drew it back as Usagi seemed to materialize next to Ami, slashing at Taras' hand with her sword while Makoto and Artemis pulled Ami away.

"Hands off our friend, ugly!" Usagi ordered.

"Your friend," Rei corrected, as Makoto and Artemis placed themselves between Ami and Taras.

"Our friend," Usagi repeated.

"I'm almost impressed," Taras said, brandishing his claws. "Now, I think I'll keep Artemis and the blue one as presents for Beryl, but the rest of you really need to die."

"Fat chance!" Usagi barked and then they all looked up as the sky seemed to yawn open.

"That can't be good," Makoto noted.

A staff flew from the hole and struck Taras, who immediately began to grow and grow until he was at least fifty feet tall. Probably more.

"My Queen," Artemis said into the com.

"I see it, Artemis. Beryl must have found a backdoor into my Father's armory. I told him he should have destroyed Zederach's creations." She took a deep breath. "I am sending you the Zords. Artemis, you know what to do."

The Zords appeared, nimbly avoiding cars, people and buildings and the Senshi got on board.

"Wooohoooo!" Minako cheered. "Okay, so like what now? Flanking maneuver? Strategic hit and move? Are we going to make a giant robot? Ohpleasesaywe'regonnamakeagiantrobot!Please!"

"Dude, if this giant robot requires us to be in sync or something, we're gonna need a major case of plan B," Makoto added.

"Yes, well, there's ways around that," Artemis said. "Although technically, this should only be used for training exercises. On your belts is a small pouch containing a key. Insert it into your consoles and turn it clockwise for half a turn. When the three lights go on, counterclockwise for another quarter turn."

"That's right, right?" Minako asked. Rei's Zord reached out and hit Minako's with its wing.

"Problems with your yes, man, Rei?" Usagi asked sweetly.

Rei's Zord hit Usagi's.

The three Zords rounded on each other, snarling, as the girls began to argue loudly.

"Dudes, news crew in residence," Makoto broke in. "They're makin' stuff up to explain what's happening."

Artemis flipped through the spectrum until he found the TV signal and then he went to audio.

" . . . and Red Thunderbird continues to discipline the White Lion and Yellow Cheetah for their infraction! Oh how glorious a commander to be stern with his troops in battle as the Blue Tiger, Great Green Ape and the Black Lion eye the giant Bull Beast."

Artemis switched his attention back to Taras. The madman was leaning on an office building. He'd picked up a butcher's truck and was munching on its cargo as though it was a bag of snacks.

"Oh don't mind me," he assured Artemis, "this is much more entertaining then killing you and wiping this miserable city off the planet."

"Oh what claminity from the Bull Beast!" The news announcer wailed. "Are our deaths as imminent as pronounced? Woe is Tokyo if he cannot be stopped!"

"He's kinda got a point, Boss Man," Makoto agreed. "You gotta admit, this is pretty entertaining."

"Maybe so, but we have a job to do," Artemis replied. He'd learned the hard way that it was often simpler to just go ahead then try to break up Rei and Usagi's fights. "Makoto, head west, Ami, east, hit him with flanking-" he broke off as Ami's Zord suddenly jumped in between Rei, Usagi and Minako and scattered them with swipes.

"The hell?" Rei demanded.

"And Blue Tiger joins the argument," the news announcer cried, "great claws flying to remind his teammates of duty! Truly, Red Thunderbird is lucky to have-" Artemis switched off the audio as his telemetry from Ami's Zord suddenly went wild.

"Shut up!" Ami shrieked. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Arguing! Always arguing! I can't take it anymore!" She leapt on Rei, claws slashing at her wings. "Nothing but meaningless bickering and I am sick of it! SICK!"

Alarms shrieked as the Telemetry numbers hit red zones. Artemis' sensors were picking up water pipes bursting under the street and in nearby buildings and he began to swear, long and loud.

"Artemis?" Serenity asked. "What is going on? The biofeedback from the Blue Tiger Zord has surpassed stress limits and continues to rise! Why is Ami attacking Rei?"

"You probably oughta call back later, Boss Lady," Makoto told her, "Ami's hit total meltdown mode."

"Oh dear."

"Yup."

Water erupted from buildings and streets alike, turning red and boiling as it coated Ami's Zord like a second skin. The eyes of the Zord blazed with a white-hot light and the blue was changing to red.

"Never asked for this! Just wanted to do the right thing!" Ami howled.

"Oh, this is delicious," Taras praised, "she'll do all my work for me at this rate."

Ami stopped attacking Rei and looked at Taras, a low growl, felt as much as heard rolled over the scene. Taras dropped the meat truck, fear in his eyes.

"You . . ." Ami said the word as though it was a pronouncement of doom. "Arrogant . . . I'll rip out your spine and use it for dental floss!" She reared upwards, the Zord going from feline to humanoid as parts rearranged themselves.

"Cool!" Minako said. "I didn't know the Zords could do that."

"They can't," Artemis said.

"Oh crap." Minako moaned.

Artemis ignored her. "Serenity, what is going on? These energy readings - this isn't possible!"

"I don't know, Artemis, I've never seen anything like this!"

Artemis went through the options as Ami lunged at Taras, clawing at his face, but Makoto elbowed her aside, picking up Taras and throwing him towards the sea and away from the city. Ami smashed Makoto aside, the Green Gorilla's telemetry shrieking with heavy damage alerts and then she gave chase to Taras.

"Makoto!" Usagi called out," you okay?"

"Totally righteous. Zord's gonna need some major downtime though. Ami's got a wicked backhand."

On the screen, Ami's energy readings continued to climb.

* * *

In her throne room, Beryl stared at her mirror, open-mouthed. At the edges of her awareness, she was aware of her generals doing the same and she cared little. Even here on the moon, she could feel the blue one's rage. It boiled out from earth in waves, sending delicious shudders through her body.

She was so caught up in it, she failed to notice something else happening, a flicker of awakening, somewhere in Tokyo.

* * *

_It wanted more. More. This was what it thrived on. Fed on._

_Greedily, it feasted as much as it could before the bindings pushed it back into sleep._

_But a flicker of awareness remained, and that small flicker, a tiny ember, went to work._

_No matter how long it took, it would be free once more._

* * *

"Kill the Zord," Artemis stated flatly. "Serenity," he repeated cutting across all protocols, "you have to kill the Zord."

"Artemis, there still might be a chance-"

"Can't we wait till she cools down?" Makoto asked. "I mean, she only went meltdown in the mall for a few minutes."

"If it were only that simple," Artemis replied. "Ami has tapped into the primal forces of the very universe itself via her Zord. Nothing, no one can channel that kind of power. Not for long. We don't break that connection, she'll burn up."

"Woah, that would be a major bummer. We oughta do something."

"Believe me, Makoto," Artemis said grimly, "Serenity and I are trying."

"Beginning kill sequence," Serenity said, her tone warning Artemis that they would be having words about this later. Artemis couldn't blame her. The Zords were something of a lost technology, driven by great and powerful animal spirits and sacrifices of the worst kind. Sadly, most of the Zords had been lost in the Crisis and while the Imperium had perfected a sort of replacement, they weren't quite the same.

Out in the bay, Ami was hammering at Taras, ignoring his lightning strikes and generally throwing him around like a rag doll. His attacks and counters were getting more and more desperate. He'd stopped trying to kill Ami and was simply trying to stay alive.

Artemis keyed his com. "Usagi, Minako, you two are the least damaged, so form up on me. As soon as Ami's Zord goes down, jump Taras and pin him. I'll handle the rest. Rei, Makoto, return to the Command Center and get your Zords into the Restoration Chamber."

Artemis focused his attention on the fight in the water. Ami had Taras on his knees, one hand on his throat and she was pounding his head with the other. Cracks in his shell were already visible.

Further out, Usagi and Minako were taking up their positions. Without being told, they had formed a triangle with Artemis that had Taras and Ami at their center.

"We're back at base, Boss man, and major problem inbound." Makoto reported.

"Define major problem," Artemis replied, wondering what could possibly be worse then this.

"Defense force ships and planes headed your way, and they got an American carrier group with them. Guess it was in town for a little R&R and they want in on the party."

Artemis swore. Imperial Technology was a good thousand years or more ahead of Earth, but that many ships could prove problematic. Plus, there was Ami. She'd gone berserk and if she decided to attack the humans, the loss of life would be beyond catastrophic. "Serenity, I need Ami's Zord put down now!"

"Transmitting final codes," Serenity replied.

Out in the bay, Blue Tiger froze, the great head turning towards Artemis, as though accusing him, and then it turned to water and fell, Artemis moved forward as Usagi and Minako pounced on Taras and then drew backwards as the water erupted upwards, forming a thousand foot tall effigy of a woman, eyes glowing red. In the center, he could see Amy inside a sphere of energy.

"Holy crap!" Minako swore.

Then the effigy collapsed, and Artemis leapt forward, catching Ami in the jaws of his Zord.

"Engaging Emergency Teleport," Serenity said as the first ships came into view.

* * *

After making sure that Taras was secure, Artemis returned to the control room. Ami sat in a chair, hunched over a steaming up of tea. Makoto stood next to her, hand on her shoulder while Usagi crouched next to the chair, hands on Ami's leg and looking up at her while she talked quietly. Rei and Minako stood nearby. Rei had a slightly disapproving expression on her face while Minako looked worried.

"Y-y-y-y-you w-wa-want m-m-m-m-my wa-wa-wan-wan-wand," Ami stammered.

"Ami, I have no choice." Artemis cupped her chin with his hand and raised her head to look into her eyes. "You went berserk, attacked the other Senshi, and almost killed Taras. You nearly killed yourself as well. Until we find a way for you to control your temper, you can't be the Blue Senshi. It's just too dangerous."

"Then who's gonna replace her?" Rei asked.

"Rei!" Usagi snapped.

"Hey, they said they need five of us. If Mizuno is out, who is gonna take her place?"

"Which brings me to you three," Artemis said, his voice dropping to a chill tone. "Your incessant bickering and arguing has to stop. We're lucky Taras chose to treat things with amusement since if he had attacked, Makoto, Ami and I would likely have been killed."

"Hey!" Usagi snapped, rising from her crouch. "It's not my fault Rei is such a bitch!"

"Bitch?" Rei exclaimed, "Usagi, if you acted like an actual grown up instead of . . . of . . . Queen of the Moon People or something, we'd be a lot better off."

"I like Moon People," Minako murmured.

"Excuse me?" Usagi asked, eyes narrowing. "Excuse me? I do not act like the Queen of the Moon People and even if I did, that's still better than you, the Empress of Planet Oak Tree Rammed Up Her Ass!"

"Woah there!" Makoto barked as there was the sound of glass shattering. Everyone turned. Makoto had Ami pinned to the chair with one hand firmly on her shoulder and the other holding her wrist. A shattered tea cup lay on the floor and Ami's teeth were bared in a furious snarl. "Dudes, I am totally down with the fact that you guys are righteously opposed to each other's existence, but can't we just peace out while we do the world saving thing?" Ami struggled, but Makoto didn't even seem to be exerting any effort to hold Ami in place. "'Cause if the world ended while you guys were fighting, that would give a lot of people a really epic case of the downs, you know?"

Rei let out another snort. "Aren't you always saying 'everything ends'?"

"Yeah, but the boss lady is right. Stuff oughta end on its own. Everything's got a time and it really blows when it happens early." In the chair, Ami suddenly stopped struggling and slumped down.

"I-I'm s-s-s-s-sorry," Ami stammered. "Th-th-th-thank y-y-y-you f-f-f-or s-s-stopping m-me."

"No worries," Makoto said, "but dude, seriously, we have got to work on those anger management issues."

"I-I-I-I ca-ca-can't h-help i-i-it," Ami replied. "M-m-mother d-doesn't a-a-a-approve o-o-of ex-extreme e-em-emotion a-a-a-and I-I-I tr-tr-try, b-b-but s-s-s-s-sometimes, I-I-I-I jus-just e-ex-explode."

"Momma's got a point," Makoto said, fetching a fresh cup of tea, "but it aint right to be holding it in either."

"As fascinating as this is," Rei broke in, "we still need a Blue Senshi."

"Correct," Serenity agreed. "The Blue Senshi is noted for their intelligence, strategic skill, and compassion."

"Naru could do it!" Usagi exclaimed. "She's really nice and she helps me with my math homework all the time! She's really good at it."

Naru?" Artemis asked.

"My best friend!"

"Aside from the fact that five year old is better at math than Usagi, she's overlooking the fact that Naru is a mercenary and a sociopath," Rei pointed out.

"She is not!"

"The underground poker game," Rei shot back, holding up a finger.

"Everyone likes card games."

"Term paper sales."

"Nobody likes writing papers, why work if you don't have to?"

"Cribbing answer sheets and selling them at a profit."

"Nobody likes tests either."

"Extortion! Money Laundering! She likes country music!"

"She's not an ex anything, money gets dirty if you drop it on the ground . . . and okay, the country music thing is kind of weird, but she's not a bad person!"

Artemis would have liked to have sided with Rei, but given his own childhood, he and this Naru could probably compare notes. "We'll talk to her," he promised, "but first, there's the matter of finding out what Taras knows and there's only one thing that might get him to talk."

"Artemis . . ." Serenity warned, "No."

"It's the only way, my Queen, unless you have a better idea."

Serenity glared at him for the longest time and then exhaled noisily. "Oh very well! You may invoke Section Six."

Rei blinked. "Section Six?"

* * *

Author's Note: And no, Makoto is not perpetually stoned.


	6. Interrogation

Taras woke up with the feeling of rotten garlic in his mouth, a sure sign of having been in cryo stasis. He tried to sit up, but found himself unable to move anything below his neck. He attempted to look around, but his head had been strapped in place.

"Morning!" Whistling cheerfully, Artemis moved into Taras' field of vision, pushing a tool cart. "How are we today?" Professionally, he peeled back Taras' eyelid and shined a bright light into his pupil.

"Gah!" Taras gasped.

"Excellent, excellent," Artemis approved. "The neuroparalyzer is working properly. "Can't have you up and being all mean and grumpy, now can we?

"What is the meaning of this?" Taras demanded.

"Hm?" Artemis asked, picking up a vibroblade and turning it on, filling the room with an earsplitting whine before he turned it off. "Oh yes. I'm going to torture you."

"What? The Imperium doesn't allow torture!"

"It's allowed under Section Six."

"There's no such thing as Section Six!"

"Of course there is," Artemis said with a frown. "Otherwise, I couldn't be doing this." He picked up a three pronged fork and a two pronged one and examined them closely. "You see, not only did you not complete your sentence, but then you submitted to unapproved medical experimentation and assisted in an attack in a non-military sector, one that happens to belong to a friendly faction. The Ministry of Law takes a very dim view of people who do that kind of thing, and, as a Senior High Mage and one of the Senshi, I'm sort of obligated to carry out the Ministry's wishes. And of course, the Imperium is in a state of war and civil unrest, so certain pesky laws and statues have been suspended. You know how it is." He picked up a water drill, frowned at it, then produced a tool and began to make adjustments.

"I'll never talk and if you kill me, you'll never find out about Beryl's plans."

Artemis stopped and stared at him. Then he laughed, loud and long. "Sorry," he managed when he got himself back under control. "Beryl? You think we're interested in Beryl? Oh no, my Lord, this is about Aear Minos. We're going to have a very, very, long talk about the why, the how, and you're going to scream. A lot." He returned his attention to the water drill and continued his adjustments, whistling a jaunty tune.

* * *

"This is Section Six?" Rei asked, incredulous.

"He's not serious, is he?" Usagi asked, biting her lower lip.

They sat in an observation room overlooking the interrogation chamber. Ami, Makoto, Usagi, Minako and Ami sat on a long bench while Serenity's hologram stood nearby. Her hands were tucked into the sleeves of her white robe, and she looked worried.

"I'm not sure, to be honest," Serenity told them. "He's never had to actually use that . . . assortment on anyone. But he is the Black Senshi, so he might use them if he has to." She sighed.

"Maybe you better start from the beginning," Rei suggested, a dangerous tone in her voice.

Serenity nodded. "That might be best." She pursed her lips. "The colors of your uniforms reflect certain aspects of your natures. Makoto, for example, is green, for strength, dependability, and protection. However, the Black Senshi is a little different. They are the pragmatic one, the one who must make the difficult decisions and think and do the things we would never think of. To borrow a concept from your philosopher Niezchte, the Black Senshi gazes into the abyss, relying on the rest of us to pull them back should they start to fall in."

"Not an easy gig," Makoto observed.

"No, its not. As you can imagine, it takes a special sort of person to be the Black Senshi and Artemis, as the saying goes, was a natural." She bowed her head. "After the Senshi were all killed putting down the Food and Fuel Riots on Venus, new Senshi were needed. At the time, no one knew of Beryl's true nature and as Heir Tert - as the younger daughter, I was expected to make something of myself. Artemis and I knew each other informally from the Mage Academy, but we didn't become friends until we joined the Senshi."

"So where does this Section Six come in?" Rei asked.

"I'm not exactly sure. Artemis claims to have come across it in his studies and supposedly it allows for torture, criminal activities, and other such things in defense of the Imperium, its allies, and its interests."

"And you've never seen this?" Rei asked.

"No. He ducks the issue when it comes up and I've spent hours poring over legal documents, trying to find it."

Rei frowned, and then began to jot words down on a notepad.

* * *

Taras was getting worried. Not afraid, no. Most definitely not afraid, but worried.

"All ready!" Artemis chirped and picked up the water drill. "I think . . . I think we'll start with the feet and work our way up." He pulled on a pair of goggles and a face mask.

"Wait!" Taras objected.

"You'd rather I start somewhere else?" Artemis asked.

"No! I mean yes! I mean . . . wait!"

"I really need to get started," Artemis pointed out, "I'm terribly behind schedule as it is. I should've been starting the amputations an hour ago. Please hurry up and make up your mind."

"I just . . . I just want to know why you're not afraid of Beryl. She almost destroyed you."

"Ah, but she didn't, therefore, this time she'll fail as well. Meanwhile, my grandmother's sister died when you destroyed Aear Minos, along with three million other people, priceless relics of history, and anything that might have told us about pre-breakdown life. So really, you deserve whatever you get." Artemis laughed. "Its not as though Beryl has anything to work with anyway. If she did, she would have broken out a millennia ago." Artemis turned his attention back to Taras' foot. "Little toe first, I think."

"It wasn't her who broke us out," Taras said. "She had nothing to do with it!"

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Then who?" He asked sardonically. "One of the Keepers, perhaps?"

"I don't know where she came from. She was a cat-headed girl. Black fur, glowing red eyes, under some kind of mind control. I think she's a High Mage. Beryl referred to her as Lord General Luna and sent her off on a mission as soon as we took the palace."

"How dreadfully uninteresting," Artemis said blandly. Only someone who knew him well would realize that his tone of voice was just a little too bland, that there was a note in his voice of someone trying their damnedest to maintain self-control. Under his mask and goggles, Artemis was struggling to regain control of his expression. In fact, it was taking all of his willpower to keep his voice from betraying everything. "Now, no more interruptions, please. As I said before, I am very behind schedule." He gripped Taras' little toe. "I suppose we can just move right on to the amputations. Terribly bad form, really, but the clock's ticking."

"She wants the Silver Crystal!" Taras shouted. "She knows where it is!"

Artemis set down the drill and lifted his face mask and goggles, "Are you trying to distract me?" He asked. "Cat headed girls and now the Silver Crystal?" He pursed his lips. "You know, you're acting like you don't want to be tortured."

Taras chose his next words carefully. Artemis clearly had cryo-madness and he almost pitied whoever was wearing the Senshi armor. They didn't know it, but they were already dead. He, however, wasn't dead yet and had no intention of dying. His loyalty to Beryl wasn't so great that it was worth his life. "I heard her talking to one of her other generals. Serenity sent the crystal off with her Uncle, the one who stepped away from the Line of Succession. Lord Rolan was supposed to go to his Station and stay there until Serenity came to retrieve the crystal."

"And where is that? No, wait. Wait wait wait wait." Artemis pointed at Taras dramatically. "You're making this up! Trying to trick me! Oh that's very bad form, My Lord," his eyes narrowed. "Very, very, bad form . . ." His eyes glazed over. "I know Beryl, I do, I do. You'd not been sent this soon, not at all, not at all, if any use you had to her."

Taras reined in his temper. "I volunteered, fool!"

"You volunteered?" Artemis blinked in confusion. "You can do that?" He leaned on Taras' chest. "Tell me about it."

Taras could feel a slight tingle in his fingertips. The neuroparalyzer must be wearing off. As long as he could keep this madman distracted, he could buy time. If the paralyzer wore off, he could break free . . . and then break Artemis. "After you locked Beryl and her generals into Zear Oden, the stasis fields took hold . . . right up until the generator failed. Zear Oeras was practically next door, so when she broke out, she came looking for allies. I was more then happy to offer my services."

"Beryl does love being serviced," Artemis agreed, nodding sagely. "Do go on. I take it Mikales is responsible for your spiffy new bod?"

"That and more," Taras gloated. "Oh, so much more. The man is a genius."

"Really?" Artemis' expression became almost wolfish. "That's an odd sentiment coming from you, My Lord."

"What do you mean?"

"I did a research paper on you when I was a novice. When Mikales was convicted, you argued for his execution and yet, here you are singing his praises. It's very confusing."

It was too much and Taras exploded. "You cryo-mad idiot! What are you implying?"

"Why did you destroy Aear Minos, my lord?"

"Because I could," Taras sneered.

"And so you did. But that's not why you did it." Artemis touched his finger to Tara's lips. "Shhhhh, just wait. Wait wait wait. You'll like this. On Imperial Date Three three two three in the year seven three nine of the Imperial Calendar, you led a research team into some of the Black Sectors of Aear Minos that had just had power and life support restored. In defiance of operational protocol, you went to explore a room alone, sending your team further on. In the room, behind a false wall, you found the cryo capsule of one Herak Mikales, who had been there since the Breakdown. King-Emperor Naron gave him a place on your research team and you worked together for quite some time. But, as it turned out, he tended to regard ethics guidelines as mild suggestions and experimented on, mutated, and killed nearly a hundred people before, again, you caught him by walking through the wrong door."

"The right door," Taras corrected, "I see that now."

"Oh, but that's not even the best part, My Lord," Artemis said, grinning. "Ten years after Mikales was imprisoned, you destroyed Aear Minos. Coincidentally, there had also been an announcement that they had recovered more data from Aear Minos' mainframe. Data that appeared to be legal papers. Data that might have told why Mikales had been in a hidden cryo capsule in the first place. Data he didn't want to come to light, and here he had a nice puppet already prepared just in case of something like that happening."

"I AM NO PUPPET!" Taras roared, straining at his bonds.

"Really?" Artemis asked. "Because I just played your strings like a harp." Taras stared at him, open mouthed. "And to answer your earlier question, Lord Taras, that's how I got all those people imprisoned." With that, he jammed an injector into Taras's neck. "Put him back in Cryo-Stasis," he ordered the cot and it rolled off towards the stasis room.

Emotion bubbled up inside him and caught in his throat as Artemis calmly removed the gown, apron, and gloves, carefully folding them up one by one and putting them back onto the tool cart.

Luna. Alive. Under Mind Control. An Army of Prisoners. Geas, brainwashing, Beryl after the the Silver Crystal. Lord Rolan. Danger. If Beryl gets the crystal, we're all dead.

"Back to storage with you," he ordered and the tool cart rolled away. Turning, he headed for the doors.

Luna. Alive. Under Mind Control. Luna.

He exited the chamber, crossed the hall, and summoned the lift.

Luna. Alive.

They would need a shuttle. Luna was alive. Can't risk an interplanetary teleport. Too easy to detect. Rolan's station wouldn't be on earth. Luna was alive. Too vulnerable and too close to Serenity. Luna was alive.

The lift doors opened and he entered.

Where would Rolan's station be? Luna. Alive. Mercury or Venus. Mars, probably. Luna. Alive. Jupiter was an outside shot. Antigravs might fail and plunge into Jupiter's asmotsphere. Mind control. Beryl had Luna under mind control. Kill her. Free Luna. No, had to be one of the other planets. Luna, had to get to Luna.

"Hi, Artemis," Usagi chirped as he emerged onto the observation level. Artemis did not reply, heading straight for a storage chamber.

Get the crystal, free Luna, get the crystal, free Luna. Crystal. Luna. Crystal. Luna. Luna. Luna. Luna.

"Artemis?" Minako asked and then jumped as he entered the storage chamber and slammed it shut. Moments later, the doors to the chamber shook as the sounds of complicated destruction began.

"Now that's some major anger," Makoto observed. "That's a dude with a serious mad going on."

"What has him so wound up?" Rei demanded. "Want to explain what that was about?"

"No," Serenity replied. Rei clenched her teeth, anger blazing in her eyes and Serenity held out her hand to placate the brunette. Early on, Rei had made it clear that she would not tolerate Serenity and Artemis keeping any secrets from her and the others. "I say no because I cannot say anything else. Yes, I do know why Artemis is so upset, but it is not my place to say so. It is a personal matter and Artemis will discuss it when and if he chooses. Please understand."

Almost as though against her will, Rei nodded.

Through the door came the sound of a voice raised in rage as it spewed curses and obscenities. Serenity winced as the doors shook again and the noise increased in volume. "However," the queen continued, "the more immediate problem is what to do with the information I can talk about. Beryl has sent an agent after my Uncle Rolan. Since Beryl would not hesitate to use the crystal, we can assume that the agent has not yet obtained the crystal and is either still in transit, or searching as we speak."

There was another crash, the sound of something exploding and the room shook.

"Is the Unc any good at hiding?" Makoto asked.

Now Serenity frowned. "I don't know. Grandfather insisted all his children be High Mages, but Rolan was always more of a scientist. It was one of the reasons he abdicated. However, he was also a very good . . ." she trailed off and frowned. "The closest translation would be 'Misdirection" it was a popular card game in the Imperium, the equivalent of poker. Success depends entirely on your ability to bluff and deceive your opponents." She began to pace. "This facility is one of several scattered across the Inner system. I sent Rolan to the one on Mars, but he may or may not have decided to stay there. However, it is the only starting point we have. Even if Rolan didn't stay there, he would have left a clue for me or Artemis to find."

"How could he know you'd send Artemis?" Minako asked.

"And what's this crystal, anyway?" Rei added.

From the chamber, something exploded and Artemis' voice could be heard again as he shouted blasphemies, although, and Serenity was forever grateful for it, the words were muffled.

"There is no one else I would send. It was well known that I trust Artemis above all else, a fact my husband never truly understood. But he wasn't a Senshi. Of course, they never understood either." She sighed. "The crystal is a magical artifact my Grandfather obtained when he married the Martian Princess to bind the Imperium and the Kingdom of Mars together. It is extremely powerful and believed to be sentient, though no reliable method of communication has ever been found. Grandfather had it placed on the royal family's scepter as a symbol of the throne. If Beryl obtains the scepter, she will be unstoppable."

"We'll take care of it, Boss Lady," Makoto said, "rest easy."

At that moment, the noise stopped, and Artemis exited, looking cheerful. "Much better," he exclaimed, and brushed some soot from his sleeve.

"Excellent timing, Artemis," Serenity approved. "Senshi, you are to leave immediately for Mars. We cannot use the teleporter without being detected by Beryl, so you will need to use the shuttle. Artemis, return Ami's wand to her."

"But-"

"Even Beryl would not grant her agent the title of Lord General unless the agent was worthy of it," Serenity snapped, cutting him off. "We need all six of you for this and there is no time to obtain and brief Usagi's friend. I realize the dangers, but Ami's rage is a force by itself and without the Zords, it should be safe enough."

Ami blushed bright red but Makoto merely clapped her on the shoulder. "Dude, that's an ultimate compliment. You're two Senshi in one. That's awesome!"

"As you command, My Queen," Artemis replied.

"One other thing," Serenity said, and the look her face plainly said that she was saying it only because she had to. "This Lord General Luna that Taras mentioned is under mind control. As such, an effort must be made to free her. However, if she cannot be freed or captured, Artemis, you must kill her."

"Hey!" Makoto snapped her fingers. "If we're going to Mars, we're gonna need some epic lunch!" She put her arms around Rei and Usagi and began to push them out. "Bento, some stew, dude, sandwiches! We could make sandwiches! That's totally awesome!" Automatically, Minako and Ami followed. The door hissed closed behind them.

"But-" Artemis protested and Serenity sighed

"Artemis, you know I would not order such a thing lightly. But the crystal must be kept out of Beryl's hands at any cost."

"But-"

"At any cost," Serenity repeated, her voice like iron. "At any cost, Artemis. You know I'm right, old friend."

"Of course, my Queen," Artemis said through clenched teeth. Because she was right, though it tore at his soul to admit it. "At any cost."


	7. Encounter on Mars

_A carrier division._

_Artemis ducked behind a column as more missiles streaked overhead and detonated, the shock waves causing still more destruction._

_Where in the name of the Pit had Beryl gotten a carrier division?_

_For that matter, how had she gotten the attacking force into place without Intelligence finding out about it?_

_A faint whud noise attracted his attention and he bared his teeth as he watched the distant mushroom cloud rise into the air. Palace surface to air defenses had held off drops from the carriers, and had blunted the bombardment, but they could do nothing about the mecha and youma at the palace gates. That mushroom cloud had been the last of the East Gates falling. "Torment take them all!" he swore and set off at a run, leaping nimbly over rubble and remains._

_Once, the palace gardens had been a marvel of civil engineering. Built vertically on towers set into the mountains, they offered not only some of the greatest wonders of the Imperium's flora and fauna, but sustained the moon's population with fruits and vegetables. By tradition, the throne opened the garden's gates to one and all at Harvest so that any citizen may pick from the garden's bounty._

_But now, the towering gardens were a ruin, bombed from above and reduced to a pile of debris, just like everything else._

_"Ay yi yi yi," Artemis muttered and then was thrown to the ground as one of the STA cannons suddenly went up in a column of flame and debris. Clambering to his feet, he grabbed his staff, senses on alert. A destroyed cannon meant a hole in the defense grid, which was very, very, bad._

_Seething, he resumed running and then threw himself to the side as a man in full armor suddenly crashed to the ground nearby. Spying Artemis, he raised his assault rifle and opened fire._

_Swearing, Artemis lurched to his feet and bolted, the shock waves of the concussive bolts nipping at his heels. Spying a large rock, he hit it with his staff and cast a transmutation, followed by a cloak. The rock blew up in a rather spectacular fashion, providing Artemis with the time to cloak completely. He started to sneak away and then froze as the trooper flipped a switch on his gun and the barrel reconfigured itself. Instead of a barrel,the weapon now bore a large crystal orb with a pair of lights on either side._

_A horrible, awful, suspicion began to surface in Artemis' mind. If the trooper had an Aegis Gun, then this was no mere coup. Access to the Aegis Guns was tightly controlled and monitored, and for good reason. For a mage, there was no defense against an Aegis Gun. If the blast from that orb hit a mage, or even grazed him, the mage was dead. No shield, no armor would protect him. The royal family were all mages, as was Artemis and most of the Royal and Imperial Regiment. An Aegis Gun had one purpose and one purpose only: to put down rogue mages when there was no other option. The lights would penetrate all but the most powerful cloaking spells and the orb was Death itself._

_That even one Aegis Gun was out of the vault, and knowing Beryl, she'd emptied it, meant that there traitors at the highest level of government and the military. It spoke of months, even years of planning and preparation. Serenity had to know, which meant Artemis had to survive and if he was hit, she wouldn't._

_Of course, the trooper had to find him first and Artemis lay flat on the ground and crawled forward as the trooper moved his gun in a search pattern, correctly assuming that most mages with an ounce of common sense would want to get as far away from an Aegis Gun as quickly as possible._

_Artemis, however, was not most mages and as he drew close, he got out his knife, intending to put the blade through the Aegis Gun's orb. At that moment, the trooper lowered his gun, the lights punching through Artemis' cloaking spell. Artemis felt his bowels turn to water and then the trooper's head exploded in a shower of battletanium and gore._

_"You must be more careful, Master," Luna chided as the headless body fell. "I would hate to explain to the Archmagus as to why you are dead when he wants to kill you himself."_

_"He's been wishing for my death since we were novices," Artemis retorted and then blasted the woman in Raider gear who had been sneaking up behind Luna. "And you must be more mindful of your surroundings, Apprentice."'_

_"Yes, Master," Luna agreed, but her mischievous smile belied her humility. Artemis wouldn't have her any other way._

* * *

The shrill beep of the proximity alert jerked Artemis out of his memories and he turned his attention to the console. They were approaching Mars.

"Hey, Artemis," Minako said, leaning over the back of Artemis' chair, "can we come in over Cydonia? I want to see if there really is a face."

"A face?" Artemis asked.

"Oh, God, not this again," Rei groaned, "you and that stupid face."

"Yeah," Usagi agreed.

"Well we have a golden opportunity!" Minako shot back. "We can prove it once and for all."

"Shut up about the face!" Rei snapped.

"It's real!" Minako protested.

"Bull!" Usagi exploded.

As yet another argument began, Artemis looked over at Makoto, who had claimed the co-pilot's seat and had been quiet the entire flight. "Face?"

"Robot flew to Mars a while back," Makoto said, "rode circuit in orbit for a while and took pictures. Some of them seem ta show a giant face on the surface. Like a sculpture or somethin."

Artemis snorted. "Well that makes no logical sense. Why would anyone build something like that?"

"Pretty much," Makoto said.

"Do you think there's a face?" Artemis asked.

Makoto turned in her chair. "Ami's about to hit meltdown mode," she noted.

Artemis turned in his chair. Ami was sitting ramrod straight in her chair, book in her lap, and one eye was twitching. "Rei, Usagi, Minako, please keep it down," he said in the most mild tone he could manage, "Ami is trying to read and your argument is disturbing her."

In an instant, all three were facing forward in their chairs, staring straight ahead and not saying a word. He watched Ami until he saw her shoulders relax and then turned back to the console and studied Makoto out of the corner of his eye.

He hadn't missed Makoto's perceptiveness back at the station when she'd shooed the other Senshi out of the room to give him and Serenity some privacy, and he hadn't missed the way she'd avoided answering his question just now.

'What goes on inside your head, Makoto?' he wondered.

* * *

"So we're really on Mars?" Rei asked. Reflexively, she tried to pull her jacket tighter around her and then remembered she wasn't wearing one. Her Senshi uniform kept out the cold anyway, and the desire for a jacket was just the sight of all the ice and snow on the landing pad. She gazed up at the Martian sky high overhead through the canyon's opening and shivered again as she thought about how deep they were. "It's unbelievable."

"No, Rei," Usagi said with heavy sarcasm. "This is just Arizona and we're on a movie set. There's a hidden camera over there." She pointed at random.

"Cool!" Minako said and waved. "Hi, Mom!"

"You were born stupid, weren't you, Minako?" Rei mused and turned to glare at Usagi. "And what I meant, idiot, was that we are the first humans to set foot on Mars."

"No, Artemis is human," Usagi corrected, "and he's been here before."

"I'm human?" Artemis asked. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Well you look human and you . . . huh?"

"I'm not human, Serenity and I are Imperials. There is a difference."

"But you . . . and . . . you . . . huh?"

"Dudes, can we talk convergent evolution later?" Makoto asked. "We gotta find the Boss Lady's scepter or we're gonna be in some deep fried trouble."

"Makoto's right," Rei said and looked at Artemis. "Serenity said Beryl's agent, uh, Lord General Luna, was under mind control. How do we break it?"

"Yeah, with Luna's help. we could really kick some butt," Minako agreed.

"Several ways, depending on what kind was used. But, I want to correct Minako's assumption first."

"Huh?" asked Minako.

Artemis began to walk across the landing pad and the Senshi followed. "Beryl and her generals were locked away in a prison with the worst and most wretched criminals the Imperium ever produced," he explained. "Both Zear Oden and Zear Oeras were not about rehabilitation, they were places for people the Imperium wanted to make disappear. Those same people have had a long time to harbor some very deep grudges. Even if Lord General Luna is freed, she may decide to kill us anyway simply because we hadn't freed her sooner."

"Th-tha-that i-is a-a-a-an i-ill-ill-illog-illogical r-r-rea-ah-ah-reaction," Ami stated.

"Quite," Artemis agreed, "but more then likely how she'll see it. Being under mind control is akin to being in a car with the word kidnapped on it and having no one notice. You cannot control anything, only watch and wonder why no one is doing anything. Eventually, deprived of the ability to control yourself, you start believing that your friends, family, comrades or allies are taking their own sweet time because they have better things to do. Or just don't care. Or even set you up for this. And that's when the psychosis sets in. That entire thought process can take mere minutes and Luna has been under mind control for centuries."

"So she probably has some major mad built up," Makoto put in.

"Alright," Usagi agreed, "we'll worry about that later. Now how do we free her?"

"As I said, it depends on which kind she's under. There's two kinds of mind control. One, is direct control, or, the puppet method. This is where the victim is robotic-like, is occasionally capable of speech, and often literal minded in the execution of their orders. The second is a geas, in which the person is twisted, for lack of a better term, and is the harder of the two to break."

"Why?"

"A puppet has their conscious will suppressed by whoever is pulling their strings. However, on some level, they are aware something is wrong and are trying to break free. One of the reasons Beryl likes to use them is that a geas is more subtle. It twists feelings, perceptions, memories, the very things we use to cling to reality and determine instinctively what is and isn't real. What is true, and what is false. Anything that might tell them that this is wrong is filtered and twisted by the geas. So they don't fight, don't resist. Remember when I told you that a doppleganger is made from the bits of you that you can do without?"

"Which is why you have to give it specific instructions," Usagi remembered.

Artemis nodded. "In effect, it is a doppleganger riding a horse and you are the horse."

"Yuck," Minako said.

"The good news is that someone under a geas is like a bullet fired from a gun. Once it leaves the barrel, you have no real control over it. A person under a geas will follow orders, but will often creatively interpret those orders and occasionally demonstrate something like mercy." He stopped at a huge metal door and laid his hand on the screen in the doorframe. "Queen Empress' Own Imperial Regiment Senior Colonel High Mage Artemis. Attached to Sailor Senshi, series black operator. Security Override under the War Powers Act Emergency Charter, Three Eight Eight One Four. Recognize by Voiceprint Passcode; White Mau. Alpha Rho Thea Eta Mu Iota Sigma. Disengage exterior lockdown and alarms." The door began to yawn open. "Weapons out," he ordered. "I left the Senshi before Beryl attacked and the server links to Serenity's station were severed. I should have been challenged by the A.I. Someone else is here."

"L-l-l-luna?" Amy asked.

"She wouldn't have the passcodes," Artemis replied. "I wonder . . ." he added softly, and then cleared his throat. "Form up on me. Usagi, you and Ami on the left, Rei and Minako on the right."

"No worries, dudes," Makoto said, "I got your backsides."

"If you knew you'd be challenged by the A.I. if you used that passcode," Rei asked, "then why-" she broke off and shook her head. "You wanted to see if anyone else was here. Because they would have overriden the security system or shut it down."

"Very good," Artemis approved. "Being a Senshi isn't just about fighting evil and saving innocents. We are the Imperium's champions and that means being able to think in circles around everyone else. You were all chosen because you have a high degree of intelligence." He could almost hear Rei turning her head to stare at Minako in bafflement. "There are many kinds of intelligence," he continued, "don't get so locked into the idea that intelligence equals ability with math and science that you ignore that person with a low degree of education, but is very, very good at strategic thinking. From wind direction to time of day to environment and the amount of sunlight. Everything is a variable, and every variable can be made to work in your favor if you're thinking far enough ahead."

"So what you're saying is, pay attention and plan for everything?" Rei asked.

Artemis nodded. "As my Master often said; You are a weapon, and so is the world around you."

"Hello, kitty!" Minako exclaimed.

Beryl frowned as she paced her throne room. Luna should have been back by now. Something was wrong.

"Jadeite!" She snapped.

"At your service, Mistress," the general replied.

"Go to Mars and find Luna. Find out what is taking her so long." she paused. "Take some golems with you. Just in case."

"Immediately, Mistress." He vanished.

Teeth clenched, Beryl resumed pacing.

* * *

_It is slowly getting stronger. Bit by incremental bit, the bindings that hold it chained are weakening. But not quickly enough. It needs rage or it will be put back to sleep._

_The mere idea is intolerable, for it to actually happen is unthinkable._

_Yet, there is rage nearby. Not the heady drug that woke it, but rage all the same. Somewhere outside its cage is rage . . . and hate. Hate is even better then rage._

_But how to get it?_

* * *

"That's not a kitty," Rei said through clenched teeth.

"Sure it is," Minako protested. "Fur, four legs, whiskers, tail, ears. It's a kitty."

"It's at least the size of a horse!" Rei shouted.

"A really big kitty."

"Dude, five out of the six ends are pointy," Makoto said, "Looks like a kitty to me."

IT'S NOT A KITTY!" Rei screamed.

"She's a Mau," Artemis said.

"What's a Mau?" Usagi whispered.

"A warrior race," Serenity told them over the communicators. "My Grandfather freed them from the Venusian Warlords and they became his closest allies. Be careful, they are very proud and very powerful."

"You trespass, Mage Artemis," the Mau said, "This is our territory."

"Hello, Bas," Artemis said. There was an almost wistful note in his voice. "I'd wondered where the Mau had gone. It's good to see you."

Bas snorted. "Words," she sneered, "I see nothing has changed."

"You'd be surprised," Artemis replied dryly and then straightened. "We're here by order of her Royal and Imperial Majesty Serenity the First. Under the treaty between our peoples, you are requested and required to allow us access to complete our mission."

"Pah!" Bas snarled. "We need no treaty, and we do not need your weakling Queen-Empress. Mars is ours by right of conquest and by right of strength. Begone or be destroyed."

Artemis crossed his arms. "We have a mission, and we will finish it."

Bas tilted her head. "And what mission has Serenity charged you with that is so important?"

"When Beryl attacked, the scepter was passed to Serenity's uncle for safekeeping. We know he came to Mars, at least briefly. Our mission is to find him and retrieve the scepter. Beryl has also sent an agent. It's Luna, Bas. She's got Luna under mind control and if at all possible, I intend to free her."

For a moment, something flickered in Bas' eyes, and then she snarled again, baring three inch fangs. "If Luna was weak enough to succumb to mind control then she is not Mau."

"She's your child!" Artemis shot back. "Does that mean nothing?"

"Words, nothing but words."

"Oh, you want more then words?" Usagi pushed past Artemis and marched right up to Bas. "I can do that." With that, she slapped the Mau across the nose. Artemis began to channel power to his staff and wondered how to get Usagi away before Bas tore her to shreds.

"Usagi, don't piss off the giant alien cat!" Rei yelled.

"I told you it was a kitty!" Minako crowed.

"Shut up, Minako!" Rei shouted. "Usagi, if you get killed, Mom and Aunt Ikkuko will make me go to your funeral instead of the inter-school formal! AND I'VE ALREADY BOUGHT MY DRESS! I am NOT missing the dance because you pissed off the kitty - oh goddamnit, Minako!"

"Are you that eager for death, Senshi?" Bas demanded. Usagi slapped her again.

"Are you that much of a stupid bitch?" the blonde replied. "We've come all this way to find Luna and retrieve Serenity's scepter. And if we take the scepter somewhere else, everyone who wants it will follow us and leave you alone. So instead of sitting there trying to prove how awesome you are, you should help us or move aside."

Bas drew herself up to her full height. "I've killed for less, Senshi."

"Usagi!" Artemis shouted, "she's not making an idle threat. Part of the Mau rite of passage for adulthood is to kill."

"Listen to your Master, Senshi," Bas snarled, "your bravery amuses me and If you back away now, I will let you live."

"Do it, Usagi," Rei called out. "I look awful in black!"

Usagi stood her ground. "You're not killing me or any of us," she said. "If you were, you wouldn't have bothered confronting us first. So what do you want?"

Bas stared at her. "Pity," the Mau said, "Were you Queen-Empress, we might consider a new alliance." She raised one paw, claws out. "In your next life, Senshi, consider not insulting us." The great paw came down and Artemis leveled his staff, swearing. Usagi didn't move.

With an earthshaking thud, the paw dented the floor and left Usagi untouched. "You stand your ground," Bas mused. "Artemis has chosen well."

"I keep forgetting about that," Rei murmured. "Usagi's always been good with people and getting them to like her."

"Except for you," Artemis pointed out.

"Do you know how many times we've had to share a room or a bed on family vacations?" Rei retorted, "she snores. It's a wonder I haven't smothered her with a pillow yet."

"You have three hours," Bas informed them. "After that, we will kill anyone still here. And tell Serenity that whatever her plans, Mars is ours and we will not tolerate trespassers." With a flick of her tail, Bas turned and vanished back down the corridor.

Artemis took a deep breath. "You heard her. Let's move."

* * *

They'd been forced to split up when they reached Rolan's station. It was the only way to effectively cover the entire complex in the time they had left. Worse still, the doors had been blasted open. They weren't alone, a fact which made Artemis nervous. The Senshi weren't even half-trained and worse, woefully inexperienced in combat. Luna was an apprentice- no, be fair. Luna had been ready for the Trials and with her skills, abilities and powers, they were a mere formality. For all intents and purposes, she was a High Mage with Senshi training, plenty of combat experience and the Mau's killer instincts. Artemis didn't make a habit of kidding himself; When you combined that with whatever she'd been through in Zear Oreas, she could give even a group of veteran Senshi problems.

But he couldn't afford to think about that right now as Bas' time limit was running out. Instead, he prowled through the habitat sector, checking each room and trying to put himself into Rolan's mindset. If he was an overly clever nobleman looking to hide the most precious thing in the universe, and he wanted to leave a clue, what would he do? Unfortunately, Rei and Usagi were bickering about some sort of entertainment program and a perverse curiosity kept him going back to listen.

" . . . I'm just saying," Usagi explained, "the fact that Ursujo chose to go to Serina's house rather then Mayana's is a clear sign that he cares more about her."

"Usagi, he's a delinquent who likes huge explosions and can turn into a flying bear that shoots laser eyebeams," Rei pointed out, "and, his enemies are alien ninja wizard chickens!"

"They're fowls, actually," Minako corrected.

Rei ignored her. "Ursujo the Bear Guardian has less plot then a toy commercial and you're looking for character development?"

"I just think that it's romantic is all," Usagi replied.

"What do you know about romance?" Rei retorted, "You've never even kissed a boy."

"WHOOF!" Makoto exclaimed.

"Makoto?" Artemis asked.

"Dudes, I found Luna," Makoto said and then all they heard was the sounds of full on melee combat.

Artemis swore, triggered Makoto's locater beacon and burst into a dead run.

* * *

The fight started out on a purely technical basis. Luna had struck from the shadows, attempting a killing blow, but the Green Senshi had turned, turning the killing strike into a mere punch before shoving Luna backwards and counterattacking.

Punches, blocks, and counters were exchanged before they disengaged and began to circle, Luna's lips curled in a feral smile. Green had training, but Luna held a master's rank. Moreseo, she was no Senshi with their ridiculous notions of honor and justice. A Lord General fought to win and a Lord General had won only when their opponent was dead.

Again Luna attacked. using kicks to further ascertain Green's skill, but the Senshi matched her kick for kick. Once more, Luna disengaged and they began to circle. A few jabs were exchanged, but they were probes by each combatant and were otherwise meaningless. With the formalities dispensed with, they got down to business.

Within the first second, it became apparent that the Green Senshi was not only sufficiently skilled that she clearly held a master's rank, but her almost casual technique and the way she matched Luna strike for strike and at the same speed began to flame the Mau's anger.

How dare a mere Imperial- how dare anyone match her? She was Luna, Lord General to Beryl, and her agent of destruction. No one was her superior in battle, let alone her equal.

She let her anger out, binding it with the magic Beryl had taught her, using it to strengthen her strikes, speed up her movements. Yet with every increase, the Green Senshi merely matched her, strike for strike at the same speed.

"You fight well," Luna said when they broke apart again. "You're quite skilled. My compliments to your Master."

"Aw thanks, dude, but I'm just stalling."

At that moment, two more Senshi, one in red, and the other in yellow, dropped from the railing above to land next to Green.

"Here, kitty-lady," crooned Yellow, shaking out an energy whip. "Nice kitty-lady. . . "

"She's not a kitty-lady, idiot," Red snarled. "She's a Mau-Imperial hybrid, remember?"

"Mau are kitties, Imperial women are ladies, so she's a kitty-lady." Yellow replied.

"When we get home, remind me to hit you until you get smarter," Red seethed.

"Okay," Yellow agreed and Red shook her head and then addressed Luna.

"Luna, you've got nowhere to run. We don't want to hurt you, but if you don't come with us, it's gonna get ugly."

"Only for you, Senshi," Luna snarled and drew her swords. "I will not be a prisoner again!" She lunged at Yellow, and received a kick in the face for it. And then Red and Green came at her again.

As Luna lunged at Minako, Artemis moved to leap in and then stopped as Usagi grabbed his arm. She was stronger then she looked.

"Don't," she said grimly. "You'd just get in their way." Artemis stared. "They all train at the same dojo," Usagi continued, "They're used to working together."

"Luna regularly worked out against six or eight at a time," Artemis muttered.

"Artemis, who is she?" Usagi asked. "She's not just a victim of Beryl. she means something. Who is she to you?"

"A choice, a regret, and my greatest joy." Artemis told her.

"No. No, you freaked out after Taras mentioned her, you got upset when Serenity told you to . . . omigod. She's your-"

"She was my apprentice," Artemis interrupted. "But she is also a Mau, who have no word for what you're thinking. Though the two terms are mostly interchangeable."

"M-m-m-m-mostly?" Ami asked.

"It's easier to contemplate the death of an apprentice," Artemis replied, "Though not by much." With that, he leapt over the railing and dropped to the floor below.

"Master Artemis," Luna greeted him with utter insincerity. "Or should I call you . . . what was that word? Oh yes, father." She said father with the air of someone twisting a knife into an open wound.

"Father?" Rei and Minako exclaimed in unison.

"How . . . how did you-" Artemis asked and then broke off at the sound of a teleport.

"Well, Old Boy, I suppose that would be because I told her." The newcomer wore a military uniform of deep blue with red piping and boots as black as space. He had the face of an angel with blond hair and eyes colder then ice. "Clever girl, she grasped the concept almost immediately."

Under his helmet, Artemis' mouth was agape. "J-"

"Jadeite, if you please."

"Why . . . how?"

"Oh come now, old boy, you should be able to figure out. I'm sure you've given it quite a bit of thought."

"You . . . it was you. You're Beryl's fourth general. You gave Mala and the Sixth Fleet the passcodes to the Palace's Early Warning system and allowed in the assassin who killed King Emperor Consort Alswith and Princess Serena."

"You always were the clever one. Although I handled matter of Alswith personally. It was more of a pleasure to be honest. And the Princess . . . well, in for a mirek, in for a drem, as the saying goes."

"Why?" Artemis demanded. "Why did you betray-"

"I betrayed? Oh no, Artemis. No no no. You have it all wrong. You're the traitor. Bad enough you and Serenity were close as close, but then what you did to Beryl . . ."

"I was nothing more than a means to an end for her," Artemis snapped.

"Is that what you tell yourself?" Jadeite smirked. "Everyone knew that if Serenity crooked her finger, you ran to her side, forsaking all else. Really, its no wonder you abandoned Luna since a dog always heeds his Master's call. In fact, Baralor always called you Serenity's Dog, did you know that?"

"I swore an oath," Artemis shot back. "The same oath you took. Whatever the cost, I will uphold that oath unto death."

"Yes, I imagine you would. Like a good dog. But that pleasure has been reserved for another time. Luna, give me the crystal and Rolan's head. It's time to go."

"They're not here," Luna spat out. "A cryo capsule was open and the teleporter has been used. He went back to Earth in Ten fifty forty-five and the arrival coordinates were deleted."

"Well then, no point in sticking around." Jadeite smiled as rock golems teleported in. "Oh yes. Beryl has a message for you; You and Serenity have been tried in absentia as traitors to the Empire. By order of her Majesty, Beryl the Immortal, the Senate is disbanded and all power now resides in the Imperial Throne. For a safer and more stable Imperium, any loyalty to the previous government is punishable by death."

A sword suddenly sprouted from the wall next to Jadeite's head, severing some hair.

"And we have a message for Beryl," Usagi said, stepping forward.

"And that would be?"

"Start running."

"I'll pass that on." Jadeite and Luna vanished and the golems lumbered forward.

* * *

"A kitty. You did stuff with a kitty! How? Why? Kitty!" Minako's questions howled into Artemis' ears all the way back to the shuttle, the Mau hot on their heels. The golems had been no more then a delaying tactic to ensure the Senshi would still be on Mars when Bas' time limit had run out and force them to flee or be torn to shreds.

Once they were in orbit, Artemis commed Serenity and made a full report. He'd had to be shout to be hard over Minako's yelling until Usagi and Rei shoved her into a storage cabinet and locked the door.

"I see," Serenity said when he was done, "Do you think he was telling the truth? Was Luna?"

"A geas can't change a person's base nature," Artemis replied. "Twist it, yes, but can't change it. Mau don't lie, I'm not sure they can lie, and Luna was . . . is as Mau as she could possibly be. As for . . . for Jadeite, he never lied if he could do more damage with the truth."

"No," Serenity agreed, "he didn't. I wish I could say his betrayal was a surprise, but it does answer a lot of questions about the Fall." She sighed. "Be that as it may, we now know Rolan is on Earth. That narrows the search field from five planets to one. Unfortunately, Beryl knows this too."

"I dunno, Boss Lady," Makoto put in, "Uncle's supposed to be the Macheavelli of the day. Dude that clever could have gone to earth and then right back off again."

"I thought of that too," Serenity said, "but he also wants Artemis and me to find him and we're not as smart as he is. He would have made it easy." She frowned. "Ten fifty forty-five. That's 1945 on the human calender. He likely would have teleported the same day he woke up. Most likely due to something happening . . . ah, of course. August sixth, 1945. The day humans unleashed the atom."

"So like what?" Usagi asked, "Some computer picks up Hiroshima, wakes him up and he decides to move to Earth and wait for you?"

"Indeed, and I fear we that we are at a disadvantage as a result. Artemis set the alarm to awaken us if Beryl escaped because he was thinking like a soldier. Rolan, however, was first and foremost a scientist. Both occasions are momentous, but for completely different reasons."

"It never occurred to me to set the computer to watch for Rolan," Artemis admitted. "I'm sorry, Serenity, I failed you."

"There is little time for recriminations, Artemis. Your battle with Taras has been seen on news programs all over Earth. He . . . or his successor, will find us."

"Who's Jadeite to you anyway?" Usagi asked. "Isn't he under a geas like Luna?"

"No, but no doubt Beryl thinks he is. Among his other gifts, he's a skilled actor and Beryl believes that she's the most powerful magic user in all of existence. Jadeite is what we call a Null, a sort of magical black hole. He can't be harmed, controlled, or healed by magic without constant renewing of spells and effort."

"So he's serving Beryl willingly?"

"Which makes him all the more dangerous. Serenity is right, I should have seen him for what he was ages ago. I might have prevented the Fall."

"Dude," Makoto said, "you can be close as close to a bud and not know them. Everything ends, you know?"

"No," Artemis said, "this one I should have seen. You see, Jadeite is my brother."


End file.
